


Toue University Series

by bellpickle



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-02
Updated: 2013-12-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 05:31:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 82,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/909474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellpickle/pseuds/bellpickle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seragaki Aoba is a freshman at the prestigious Toue University. With the support of old friends and new, Aoba slowly builds his relationship with his first-ever boyfriend, an unfriendly, yet surprisingly fragile boy named Noiz. (College AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Orientation (Part I)

"Remember to do laundry every week. And to call home every weekend! And bring your room key around with you at all times! You won’t be able to trouble your roommate the way you trouble me each time you forget your keys. And remember to-"  
  
Aoba just nodded his acquiescence as his grandma rattled off reminders. Some of the students and parents wandering the area sent him sympathetic glances.  
  
"I know, I know, grandma! I swear I’ll be fine!" Aoba tried to shoo his grandma toward the station turnstile. She huffed, crossing her arms.  
  
"Well, you _should_ be fine, seeing as I’m the one who raised you."  
  
"Yeah, so don’t worry! Besides, Koujaku and Mizuki are living in the same dorm as me and we’ll all look out for each other." Aoba wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his embrace. “Tell Sei that I love him, okay?"  
  
"I will."  
  
Aoba took a step back as his grandma finally began to walk away. “Bye grandma! I’ll be back home before you know it!"  
  
She let out a dry laugh. “I’ll enjoy the peace and quiet while I can!"  
  
Aoba stopped waving only once his grandma had cleared the turnstile and turned the corner into her platform. He sighed. He had been excited about starting college and living independently, but parting with his grandma made him feel more than just a twinge of sadness. The twelve weeks between now and fall break were to be the longest he had ever spent away from home. And despite his prior reassurances, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried. What if he had trouble getting along with people here? Even a childhood friend like Koujaku could easily make new friends and drift away.  
  
Deciding to tuck away his troubles in the back of his mind for now, Aoba started the journey back towards his dorm. He took in the sights around him as he walked, marveling at the grandeur of the structures surrounding him. Part of him still couldn’t believe that he had managed to nab a spot at the prestigious Toue University. Admission was highly selective. There was no application process; instead, the university sent out invitations to the best and brightest of each high school graduating class. Grade-wise Aoba shouldn’t have been in the running at all. He figured his redeeming quality must’ve been that he was the national speech competition winner throughout all three years of high school. For some reason, when he really tried, Aoba’s words always had a way of swaying people’s hearts and minds, leading to an easy win all three years.  
  
He was passing by the university president’s place of residence, a tall, ornate structure dubbed Oval Tower, when he felt someone tug his shirt sleeve from behind.  
  
"I’m very sorry to disturb you, but could you please help me?? I think I’m lost!"  
  
Aoba turned. The young man who addressed him looked to be around the same age as him. He seemed rather frazzled and very apologetic. _Such pretty pink eyes_ , Aoba thought. He smiled.  
  
"I just arrived today, so I can’t promise that I’ll be of much help. But I can try."  
  
The stranger’s face lit up. “Thank you so much!" He extended his hand. “My name is Clear. What’s yours?"  
  
Aoba took his hand in his. It was soft and warm. “I’m Aoba."  
  
"Nice to meet you, Aoba-san." Clear beamed. “I’m so glad to have already made my first friend!"  
  
Aoba chuckled. What an odd fellow. “So what place are you looking for?"  
  
"A dorm building called ‘Glitter.’"  
  
"Oh, that’s my dorm! I was actually headed over there right now."  
  
"Ehh?" Clear’s eyes went as wide as oranges. “You live in Glitter too, Aoba-san?"  
  
"Yeah. It’s the largest freshman dorm on campus, so most of our class lives there." Aoba looked down and noticed that Clear was carrying two large luggage suitcases, one for each hand. “I could carry one of those if you want."  
  
"Ah, don’t trouble yourself! You’re already carrying your own backpack. Just lead the way."  
  
As they walked, Aoba noticed Clear openly gaping at the beauty of their new home. “This campus is really big, isn’t it? It’s like a city!"  
  
"Yup. The campus has everything you could possibly need, and even some stuff you don’t need, like a shopping centre and a movie theatre. Some people have even nicknamed this place Platinum Jail because everything inside the campus is so luxurious, but outside of campus, there’s literally nothing but farms and cornfields."  
  
"Hmmm. You seem like you’re a very knowledgeable person, Aoba-san," Clear said with an approving nod.  
  
"Nah, I’m just lucky enough to know someone who’s already been attending this school for a year. The dorm is just up ahead. You can see it from here, at the end of the block."  
  
Glitter was a plain, old-fashioned five-story building that contrasted sharply with the tinted glass buildings surrounding it. Once they stepped into the grandiose and tastefully furnished lobby, Clear noted that the building seemed much larger on the inside than on the outside. “It’s beautiful," Clear said, his eyes wide with wonder. Aoba pointed Clear in the direction of the elevators, then began walking towards a doorway on the other side of the room.  
  
"I’m gonna go visit a friend on the first floor. But it was nice meeting you! Since we live in the same building, I’m sure we’ll see each other around."  
  
"Thank you very much, Aoba-san! I’m very glad to have met you!"  
  
Clear waved as the elevator doors closed. Aoba headed for the first floor corridors, smiling to himself. Clear was a little strange, but definitely nice. Hopefully the two of them really would become friends.  
  
Aoba took his cellphone out of his pocket and reread his most recent text. “What was it again?" he mumbled to himself. “1307?" He turned a corner and arrived at the room in question. Right as he reached over to knock at the door, it suddenly swung open. The next second, Aoba found himself face-to-face with a very tall, brawny man with dark skin and long hair styled in dreadlocks. The man towered over him in silence.  
  
It took a few seconds for Aoba to find his tongue. “Ah… hi! Are you Koujaku’s roommate?"  
  
The man merely stared down at him. After a tense few seconds, the taller man pushed passed him and out into the hallway. Aoba peered through the doorway, the door left ajar, and saw Koujaku wave at him from his desk.  
  
"His name’s Mink. Friendly, isn’t he?"  
  
"Maybe he’ll warm up over time?" Aoba suggested, trying to sound optimistic.  
  
"Maybe," Koujaku said with a sigh. He gestured for Aoba to step into the room. Aoba looked around and could immediately distinguish Koujaku’s side of the room from the others: satin red bedsheets, traditional wall scroll adornments, and floral decorations on his desk. In comparison, Mink’s corner was barren and plain. He noticed the room’s third bed was still uncovered.  
  
"Did Tae-san leave already?"  
  
"Yeah, I just walked her to the train station."  
  
Koujaku grinned. “I guess this means you’re finally all grown up and on your own. How does it feel?"  
  
Aoba threw him a look of mock annoyance. “I’ve been grown up for a long time now, you know."

 

 

 

"What a pity. What happened to the cute little Aoba-kun of my childhood?"

Aoba picked Koujaku’s pillow off his bed and threw it at his face. Koujaku easily caught it and laughed at Aoba’s sour expression.

"Give me a break, will you? I’m still in shock over how much you’ve changed over the years. You were still a whole foot shorter than me the last time I saw you."  
  
"Not just me. You’ve changed a lot too." Aoba smiled, the conversation rekindling his childhood memories. It really was nice to have a companion in this strange, new place. Koujaku took notice of his expression and tilted his head in curiosity.  
  
"What’s up? Are you really _that_ happy to see me?"  
  
Despite Koujaku’s teasing tone, Aoba answered honestly. “I am, actually. If you think about it, we’re really lucky to have ended up at this university together. When you moved to the city four years ago, I really thought I’d never see you again."  
  
For a split-second, a conflicted expression flashed across Koujaku’s face before quickly smoothing out into his usual easygoing countenance. “It is pretty lucky, isn’t it? And we even ended up in the same dorm building."  
  
"I think Mizuki pulled some strings. He said he even managed to switch places with someone so that he could be the RA of my hall."  
  
"It pays to have powerful friends," Koujaku mused. “Have you met your roommate yet?"  
  
"No. The room was empty when grandma and I arrived."  
  
"Are you nervous about meeting him?"  
  
"A little, I guess."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose I’m a little nervous about meeting my last roommate too. I wasn’t worried before, but after meeting Mink, I’m hoping this other one will at least be a little more sociable… You know, I really wish the two of us could’ve roomed together instead. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about getting comfortable around each other. Hell, we could’ve even kept your dog in secret!" Aoba made a face, but Koujaku did not seem to notice. “I can tell how attached you’ve already grown to the little guy. It’s too bad you won’t be able to see him much while he’s still young."  
  
Aoba suddenly broke eye contact. His gazed down at the floor guiltily. “Uhh, about that…"  
  
Koujaku’s eyes narrowed. “Aoba… don’t tell me…"  
  
Shame-faced, Aoba reached for his pack, lifting it carefully onto the bed. He opened the main pocket and reached in, retrieving a fluffy living lump of black fur. The puppy wagged its tail in excitement, desperate for acknowledgment after being confined to the bag. Upon catching sight of Koujaku, he barked happily.  
  
"Shh, Ren! You have to stay quiet here!"  
  
Ren hopped off of Aoba’s lap, stretched, and made himself comfortable on Koujaku’s blankets. Koujaku glanced at the dog, then back at Aoba, the disapproval clear on his face.  
  
"This is surprisingly reckless of you."  
  
"If my roommate doesn’t like him, I’ll just call grandma and ask her to pick him up next weekend."  
  
"Does Mizuki know?"  
  
"Yes. And he’s agreed  to cover for me—to a certain extent. As long as Ren behaves himself, it should be fine."  
  
"…Well, as long as you know the risks." Koujaku seemed dubious, but he still decided to drop the topic. “Anyway, I heard that the deli a couple blocks down from here has really good Italian-style subs. Wanna check it out before heading to the orientation ceremony?"  
  
Aoba immediately brightened up. “Sure!" He lifted Ren off of the sheets. The puppy whined and struggled a bit before reluctantly allowing himself to be lowered back into the bag.  
  
"Behave yourself, okay?" Aoba said, peeking at Ren through the hole he left at the top of the bag. He reached in and patted Ren on the head before gently shouldering the bag and heading out.  
  
—————  
  
It was already dark by the time they returned to the dorms. The speeches delivered throughout the orientation ceremony consisted largely of forgettable platitudes about the value of education and how students will one day pave the future of society. The only part Aoba could clearly recall was when the university president, a bespectacled and respectable-looking man who shared the same name as the university, stepped up to the podium. The actual content of his speech was standard fare, but something about the way the man talked kept Aoba’s rapt attention. Aoba wondered if he had the same effect on people whenever he gave speeches.  
  
A yawn from Koujaku pulled Aoba out of his thoughts. “I’m already pretty tired. I wish I could take a nap, but we all have our hall meetings soon."  
  
"I almost forgot about that. I haven’t even met my roommate yet, much less everyone else in my hall."  
  
"Your roommate must’ve arrived by now," Koujaku commented as they stepped into the dorm lobby. “You should head back and check."  
  
Aoba nodded in agreement and started towards the elevator. Before he could get far, Koujaku called out from behind him, “Hey, Aoba! I heard from someone down my hall that there’s a party tonight at the Flaming Willow. I was thinking of checking it out. Wanna come with?"  
  
Aoba hesitated. He hadn’t been planning on partying that night, and if he was completely honest with himself, he was a little anxious at the prospect.  
  
Koujaku seemed to sense his reluctance. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. There’ll be plenty of other parties anyway."  
  
After another moment’s consideration, Aoba answered, “No, I’ll go with you. I can’t promise I’ll stay though."  
  
"Well, it’ll probably end up being just a bunch of freshmen awkwardly getting drunk together, so I probably won’t stay either," Koujaku said with a grin. “I’ll drop by your room before I head out."  
  
"Okay. It’s 2201!" Aoba heard the elevator door in front of him open, accompanied by a sharp ‘ding!’ Aoba waved Koujaku bye as he stepped in. He got off on the second floor and made the short walk to his room. He turned the knob—as expected, the door was unlocked. He took a peek inside, but saw no one else there. His roommate must have stepped out.  
  
He closed the door behind him and looked at the previously unoccupied side of the room. The walls were unadorned and the sheets were plain-colored. The only noteworthy thing was a huge plush doll that sat on the center of his roommate’s bed. Aoba wasn’t entirely sure what the doll was supposed to be of. An octopus?  
  
Before Aoba could contemplate it any further, he heard the door creak open. He cracked a smile in greeting. “Hey, I’m Aoba. Nice to m-" He suddenly froze. Once his roommate got a good look at him, he also froze in place.  
  
"EH??" the two of them exclaimed.  
  
"You…" Aoba said, at a loss for words.  
  
"AOBA-SAN!!" Clear practically flung himself at the other man. “What are you doing here?"  
  
"I live here!" Aoba said with a laugh and a soft “oomph!" when Clear tackled him. This wasn’t at all what he had been expecting, but he was far from displeased.  
  
"Aoba-san is my roommate?"  
  
"It sure looks like it. Clear, you’re squeezing me!"  
  
Clear finally loosened his hold on Aoba. He positively radiated with glee. “I’m so happy to be roommates with Aoba-san! We’ll become even better friends now!"  
  
Aoba could only nod, feeling a little dazed. What a weird coincidence this was. In his state of shock, Aoba barely caught the sound of a muffled whine from his backpack.  
  
"Oh, that’s right! Clear, there’s something I need to ask you." Aoba put his backpack on his lap and opened it. He reached in with both hands and reemerged carrying Ren. Clear’s eyes widened at the sight of him.  
  
"This is my dog, Ren. Pets aren’t technically allowed here, but I talked to our RA and he said he would make an exception for us. He’s only a puppy, but he’s really well-behaved and he doesn’t make a lot of noise. You don’t mind, do you?" Aoba asked with a hopeful lilt in his voice.  
  
To Aoba’s surprise, Ren jumped out of Aoba’s hands and onto the ground near Clear’s feet. He stood on his hind legs, his front paws resting on Clear’s lower legs and his tail wagging excitedly. “Aww," Clear cooed as he stooped down to pick Ren up. “Of course I don’t mind!"  
  
Aoba let out a sigh of relief. Clear laughed as Ren licked his face. “I’ve never had a pet before," Clear said, cradling Ren in his arms, “But I’ve always wanted one. If you want, I could feed Ren and play with him whenever you’re away."  
  
Aoba smiled as Clear continued to cradle Ren, who was surprisingly cooperative. Things seemed like they would work out fine, after all.


	2. Orientation (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clear and Aoba fill out their Roommate Agreement form, the two of them meet a pair of interesting twins, and Koujaku drags Aoba off to get crunk.

Aoba and Clear were leafing through the packet of documents left for them on their desks. Ren was napping on Clear’s bed, cuddled next to Clear’s giant plushie, which according to its owner was to be referred to as Mr. Jellyfish. Aoba came across one particular form titled, “Roommate Agreement" and showed it to the room’s other occupant.  
  
"Clear, do you have one of these too?"  
  
"Yeah! I just finished filling mine out." Clear handed him his completed sheet.  
  


  
Aoba gaped. It had to be a joke. He glanced up at Clear with questioning eyes.  
  
"Are you pleased with it?" Clear asked the question without a hint of irony.  
  
"Well, I can’t say I’m displeased, but… Clear, is this really what you want?"  
  
"Yes, it is. Why do you ask?"  
  
Aoba reread Clear’s responses, a frown on his lips. “It’s just that your answers are way too selfless. It’s like you’re being overly-considerate of me at your own expense. You should think about yourself too."  
  
Clear’s expression became marred with confusion. “I _am_ thinking about myself. Because whatever makes Aoba-san happy will make me happy."  
  
Aoba continued to frown at him, which only made Clear frown too. “If you’re that selfless, it’ll only make me feel self-conscious."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because…" Aoba hesitated. The answer didn’t come to him as easily as he had expected it would. “Well… I guess if I had to put it into words, it just wouldn’t feel like an equal relationship, you know? All relationships are give-and-take, especially when two people are living together. If one person is doing all the giving, it just doesn’t feel right."  
  
"So…" Clear began, still looking a little lost, “We should give and take each other’s things?"  
  
Aoba chuckled, his reaction only adding to Clear’s distress. “Not objects necessarily. What I’m saying is that it’s okay for you to burden me every once in a while. If it’s only me creating all the problems, then it wouldn’t be fair."  
  
Clear furrowed his brows, his face masked in deep concentration. “So a roommate relationship is give-and-take… I see." With a firm nod, Clear’s face brightened into its default cheery expression. “Thank you for teaching me so many important things, Aoba-san."  
  
Somehow, ‘you’re welcome’ didn’t seem appropriate in this situation, so Aoba opted to reach over and ruffle Clear’s hair. Clear giggled. “That feels funny."  
  
Aoba withdrew his hand just as he heard a knock on the door and a voice behind it call, “Aoba? Are you in there?"  
  
"Ah!" He ran to open the door. “Mizuki!"  
  
"Hey there! How has your first day been so far?" Mizuki peeked over Aoba’s shoulder to wave at Clear, who waved back.  
  
"It’s been really good. Mizuki, this is my roommate Clear," Aoba stepped to the side, allowing the two a better view of one another, “And Clear, this is our RA, Mizuki. He grew up in the same town as me."  
  
"It’s nice to meet you, Mizuki-san!"  
  
"It’s nice to meet you too. Aoba’s an old friend, so take care of him, okay?" Mizuki winked.  
  
"I will! You can count on me!"  
  
Mizuki laughed at the seriousness of Clear’s tone. Before he could tease Clear any further, Aoba asked, “Have you seen Koujaku yet?"  
  
"Yeah! I bumped into him while he was moving his stuff in. I didn’t even recognize him at first. He used to be so scrawny!"  
  
"He told me that he was in kendo club all throughout high school, which explains why he’s so… bulky now."  
  
"You kids grow up so fast," Mizuki said with a wistful sigh. “With his looks, I bet he’s turned into a real ladykiller. I guess the two of us will have to keep him in line, huh?"  
  
The implications behind Mizuki’s statement made Aoba feel strangely uncomfortable. “I’m sure it’ll be fine… Koujaku has always been really dependable. He wouldn’t make trouble for us."  
   
At that comment, Mizuki’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “Aoba, we’re in college. Guys in college do nothing BUT make trouble. I’m sure you’ll have your fair share of stories to tell by the time the year ends." With that prophetic statement, Mizuki began to back out of the room. “Anyway, the hall meeting starts out in the hallway in ten minutes. I have to tell all the other residents too, so I’ll see you guys again out in the hallway."  
  
Mizuki said bye to the both of them and Aoba shut the door. From behind him, Aoba heard Clear ask, “Aoba-san, who is Koujaku?"  
  
"Ah, right. You haven’t met him yet." Aoba looked at Clear apologetically. He had probably felt pretty left out of that conversation. “Koujaku is a fellow freshman. He lives on the floor below us. He also grew up in the same town as Mizuki and I."  
  
"I see." Pausing to think, Clear added, “Can I be friends with Koujaku and Mizuki too?"  
  
Aoba smiled. Clear seemed very open and innocent. It was kind of cute. “Of course you can." Aoba scooped Ren up into his arms and gently placed him on the dog bed laid out for him under Aoba’s bed. “I guess we should head out soon."  
  
"Okay!" Clear hopped up out of his chair and the two of them headed for the door.  
  
Aoba was surprised to see that most of their hall was already waiting outside. Aoba and Clear’s room sat at the very end of the hallway. The door of the one room that neighbored theirs opened with a loud creak. Out of the door stepped a tall girl with long blonde hair tied into pigtails. And to his surprise, right behind the girl was an exact copy of her—the only difference was that this one sported thick-rimmed rectangular glasses.  
  
"Wooooow," Clear said upon spotting them, unable to suppress his awe. “This is my first time seeing twins in real life!"  
  
Two pairs of eyes flashed at them in irritation. “We’re not twins!" the girls responded in unison.  
  
In a panic over their angry reaction, Clear bowed and apologized profusely. A couple minutes later, Mizuki rounded the whole group together in a circle.  
  
"Alright everyone. Let’s start with introductions! The most fun way to do this is with a quick ice breaker game." Mizuki then suggested that they play Two Truths and A Lie. They went down the circle and the activity went smoothly up until they reached the girls next to Clear and Aoba.  
  
"My name is Virus and this is my sister Trip." Not missing a beat, she forged onwards. “One, my sister and I have been part of a threesome. Two, a video of that threesome is available for $9.99 per copy. Lastly, we’re twins."  
  
Before anyone could fully process what was said, Clear jumped up and yelled, “You’re not twins! That’s the lie!"  
  
"Correct," Virus said, nonchalantly ignoring the odd stares she was getting from the girls of the hall and the even odder stares she was getting from the boys.  
  
"…Okay," Mizuki said, his brain already working to repress the memory. “Anyway. Clear and Aoba, you’re next."  
  
Clear’s hand shot up. “I’ll go! My name is Clear and this is Aoba-san. Let’s see… first, I love jellyfish! Aaaand second, I lived alone with my grandpa for most of my life. Third, I’m actually a very human-like robot that was made so that an evil corporation could figure out how to use mind control on the human race."  
  
Everyone was able to guess Clear’s lie on their first try. Aoba leaned towards him and whispered, “What an elaborate story."  
  
Clear nodded. “My grandpa always said I had a vivid imagination!"  
  
With introductions finished, the rest of the meeting was spent going over dorm rules. Afterwards, Mizuki dismissed all the residents for the night. Aoba and Clear started shuffling back towards their room, but halted when Virus and Trip suddenly blocked their path.  
  
"You two are Clear and Aoba, yes?" asked the one named Virus.  
  
"That’s us," Aoba replied warily. For some reason, something about these two set him a little on edge.  
  
Surprisingly, Virus’s face broke into a warm smile. “It’s nice to meet you guys. As neighbors, I hope we can all get along, yeah?"  
  
"Ah, yeah." After their odd display earlier, their sudden friendliness had totally thrown Aoba off-guard.  
  
"Have a good night, guys. See you around." Virus waved and Trip said her farewells with a slight nod of acknowledgment.  
  
Safely back in their room, Aoba shut the door behind him and let out a tired sigh. “Well, most of our hall seems pretty nice. Though the girls in the room beside us are… interesting characters."  
  
The euphemism completely flew over Clear’s head. “I’m glad that our neighbors forgave me for making them angry. I think they’re nice. I think everyone has been nice so far." Clear suddenly took Aoba’s hands in his. “And you’re the nicest of all, Aoba-san!"  
  
Aoba felt the unmistakable heat of a blush redden his cheeks. This guy was way too straightforward with his feelings. “I’m really not any nicer than anyone else. I’m sure once you get to know more people, you’ll meet others who you’ll end up liking much more than me."  
  
Clear shook his head, his expression serious, but kind. “I may not know you very well yet, but I can tell. Aoba-san is a very warm-hearted person."  
  
Aoba gaped, at a complete loss as to how to respond. How could someone display such naked trust and acceptance—and towards someone who was little more than a new acquaintance? Despite how easily Clear threw around the word ‘friend,’ Aoba knew now that accepting this boy’s offer of friendship was an act that held quite a bit of weight. Aoba took a deep breath, then smiled and simply said, “I’m happy you’re my roommate, Clear."  
  
Clear’s arms wrapped around Aoba in a gentle embrace. “I’m happy too, Aoba-san."   
  
—————  
  
Shortly after the meeting, Ren woke up from his nap and immediately jumped onto Clear’s bed to play with Mr Jellyfish. Clear went over to play with Ren too while Aoba typed an email to his grandma.  
  
"Aoba-san!" Even with headphones on, Aoba could hear the urgency in Clear’s voice. “I think there’s something wrong with Ren!"  
  
"What?" Aoba ripped his headphones off and ran over. Ren was lying on his stomach, his head resting on Clear’s thigh. He let out a high-pitched squeaking noise.  
  
"He’s been making that sound for a couple minutes now." Clear pet the puppy’s head reassuringly, worry visible in his eyes. “Is he sick?"  
  
Aoba smiled. “He’s fine, don’t worry. He just has hiccups."  
  
Clear’s eyes suddenly went enormously wide. “Dogs can hiccup??"  
  
Aoba was unable to stifle his laughter. It was the hardest Aoba had laughed all day and it took several seconds for him to recover. When he finally had himself under control, Clear’s cheeks were tinged pink. “Please don’t laugh at me, Aoba-san. It makes me feel self-conscious."  
  
Aoba bit on his bottom lip to keep himself from succumbing to laughter once more. “I’m sorry, Clear. I wasn’t laughing to make fun of you or anything. You just looked so surprised!"  
  
Ren rolled over onto his back and let out another squeak. Clear massaged his belly. “I _am_ surprised! I didn’t think doggies could hiccup the way humans do."  
  
"Dogs only hiccup when they’re puppies. Ren is only about four months old, so in a few months, he’ll probably stop doing it."  
  
"Ren is only four months old?"  
  
"Yup. A few months ago, a friend of my grandma’s had a dog that gave birth to a whole litter of puppies. She decided to give Ren to me as a sort of graduation present."  
  
Clear smiled sweetly. “Ren is a baby." Clear laid down on the bed next to Ren and continued to pat the puppy until his hiccups gradually faded away. Soon after, the both of them dozed off as Aoba finished writing emails. There was another knock on the door and Aoba got up from his desk to answer it.  
  
"Yo, Aoba!" Koujaku grinned in his usual carefree manner and leaned against the doorframe. “Ready to head out?"  
  
"Hold on, give me a sec." Aoba ran to his closet to grab a coat. He glanced at the sleeping form at the other side of the room. “I’d invite Clear, but I don’t want to wake him up…"  
  
"How is he?" Koujaku asked, gesturing at Clear. “Are you two getting along?"  
  
"Yeah." Aoba waited until he and Koujaku were out of the room with the door locked behind them before continuing. “He’s a little eccentric and a bit… sheltered, maybe, but he’s a good guy. I think I’m actually going to really enjoy rooming with him. And Ren likes him a lot too."  
  
"That’s good to hear. I met my third roommate right before my hall meeting." Koujaku grimaced at the memory. “He’s only slightly more sociable than Mink. I tried talking to him and asked him a bunch of questions, but I only got one or two-word answers each time. He says that he’s from Germany, though, so maybe his Japanese isn’t so good?"  
  
"I heard that international students have to pass a language proficiency exam, so I doubt that’s it."  
  
Koujaku sighed. “So I’m just stuck with two unfriendly guys as roommates, huh?"  
  
"Maybe the two of them just take a while to open up to people."  
  
"Maybe. But I really am glad that at least you got lucky with your roommate situation."  
  
Now that the darkness had snuffed out all remaining traces of day, the wind was much brisker than it had been when Aoba last walked outside. He snuggled further into his jacket and followed Koujaku’s lead.  
  
"So, did you have any girlfriends in high school?"  
  
Aoba stared at Koujaku, startled by the sudden question. “That was random."  
  
Koujaku shrugged. “It’s natural for me to be a little curious about these things, isn’t it? We haven’t seen each other in so long, after all."  
  
"I guess that’s true." Aoba looked down at the ground, feeling embarrassed. “I went on a few dates here and there, but I haven’t actually been in a relationship with anyone. It just never really worked out."  
  
"…Oh." Seeking a more telling reaction, Aoba glanced at Koujaku’s face, and to his disappointment, it was equally expressionless. “Why, were _you_ in any relationships?"  
  
"A few." For some reason, Koujaku turned away, shielding his face from Aoba’s view. The two of them were silent for several minutes after that, and it made Aoba feel increasingly more awkward. What was with this weird tension?  
  
In the distance, Aoba could hear the rhythmic booming of music. “We’re almost there," Koujaku said. “It sounds livelier than I expected." A minute later, Aoba could clearly make out a building covered in obnoxiously bright red and orange lights. The words “Flaming Willow" were highlighted in big neon red letters right above the doors.  
  
Aoba gulped as the two of them walked through the entrance, the music deafening. He was _so_ not ready for this.


	3. Toue University: Orientation [Part III]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba and Koujaku go to the party. Koujaku lays some sweet lines on the ladies, Aoba escapes and winds up eating pizza with an irritating brat.

The heat was unbearable. It felt like the air inside of the building was twenty degrees hotter than outside the building. Aoba yanked his jacket off and tied it around his waist. Even with the loud music assaulting his eardrums, Aoba still managed to hear Koujaku yell, “I’m gonna go find some alcohol!" He nodded as Koujaku pushed his way through the dance floor. Once he was alone, he immediately regretted not tagging along. He stood there sandwiched between five different groups of people, all of them trashed beyond belief and dancing rather suggestively. Aoba felt extremely self-conscious and out-of-place. After a few minutes of trying unsuccessfully to blend in with the crowd, he instead began to nudge through it in search of Koujaku.  
  
Aoba eventually found him at the opposite side of the room with a solo cup in each hand. He was chatting with a couple of girls who looked like upperclassmen. One particular girl had fiery red hair and looked as beautiful and distinguished as a fashion model.  Choking down the budding nervousness in his chest, he strode towards the trio, who initially took no notice of him. Finally spotting him out of the corner of his eyes, Koujaku grinned and yelled to the girls, “This is Aoba, the friend I mentioned earlier." He shoved a cup into Aoba’s hands, then hooked his newly freed arm around Aoba’s neck. The girls murmured greetings to him, and one complimented his “beautiful" long hair, before the pair returned their attention to the other man. Koujaku suggested they all find a quieter place to talk, and guided the group to an adjacent room where the music was more muted.  
  
Looking Koujaku over with a critical eye, the red-haired one said, “Your hair is very beautiful too, Koujaku-kun. Most guys don’t care about their looks at all. It’s really exasperating for us girls, so it’s nice to see that _some_ men aren’t total slobs."  
  
"I can’t speak for other guys, but I think it’s only fair that guys work on their appearance the way girls do. That’s the only way a man can truly appreciate a woman’s beauty."  
  
Aoba could almost feel the girls’ hearts flutter in reply. “We’re so glad that someone like you is at our school now. So many people say that the guys here are ‘elites,’ but most of them are just jerks."  
  
"I’m not surprised. A lot of guys think that power and money is all they need to get any girl they want, but I know a woman’s heart is too lovely and its needs are too precise for it to be so easily swayed."  
  
Aoba flashed Koujaku an incredulous look. That was painfully cheesy. What the hell had Koujaku been doing in high school? When Koujaku began to compare caring for women to caring for bonsai trees, Aoba could not help but roll his eyes.  
  
The other blonde-haired girl sensed the waves of disgust radiating from Aoba and looked at him questioningly. “It’s Aoba-kun, right? Is something wrong?"  
  
Aoba felt embarrassed that he had been caught. He shook his head and mumbled, “Ah, no, I’m fine…"  
  
Recovering so fast it almost gave Aoba whiplash, Koujaku skillfully assisted, “I’m sure my friend here is just at a loss for words. The two of us come from a pretty backwater town, so we’re unused to seeing refined young ladies such as yourselves."  
  
"Really?" The red-haired girl eyed Aoba in amusement. “Your friend is pretty cute."  
  
The blonde-haired girl giggled and elbowed her friend. “Look, you made him blush! How adorable!"  
  
Koujaku smirked as Aoba grew visibly flustered at the barrage of compliments. “He _is_ pretty cute, isn’t he?"  
  
Aoba repressed the urge to stomp on Koujaku’s toes and bore through the exchange with a taut smile. Still gripping the solo cup in his hand, he took a large gulp of beer. The topic of conversation thankfully shifted away from him and towards the party scene on campus.  
  
As Koujaku continued to flirt with the ladies, before he knew it, Aoba had droned out of the conversation. His own disinterest made him feel a little guilty; seeing Koujaku at work made Aoba like he should put at least a little effort into socializing. But this type of stuff really wasn’t for him after all.  
  
Interrupting Koujaku mid-sentence, Aoba cut in, “It’s getting pretty stuffy in here. I think I’ll step out for a bit."  
  
He knew Koujaku would understand that this was codeword for “I’m ditching." As expected, Koujaku’s brows creased in concern, which only multiplied Aoba’s guilt. “Are you okay? If you’re not feeling well or something, we could both head back."  
  
The girls instantly voiced their dismay at that suggestion. The red-haired one lightly tugged on Koujaku’s arm and begged him to stay a while longer. Aoba smiled reassuringly at the other man. “I just need some fresh air. I’ll be fine. You should stay here. The girls will miss you if you leave now."  
  
The two ladies nodded in approval. “See, even your friend agrees!"  
  
Koujaku still seemed concerned, and for some reason, Aoba sensed a hint of desperation in his voice when he asked, “Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?"  
  
"Stop worrying. I’ll be fine!" Aoba smiled at the girls, adding, “It was nice to meet you two. Take care of this guy, okay?"  
  
The girls giggled. “Oh, don’t worry, we will. See you around, Aoba-kun!"  
  
Sending Koujaku one last smile, he made his way through the packed dance floor once more. Exiting the building, he downed the last few sips of beer before trashing his cup. There was a wide veranda that stretched across the whole front side of the building. Aoba decided to stroll across it and only stopped once he was far enough away from the entrance doors. He sighed. It had been a while since he last ate, so he was already feeling a tiny bit tipsy from the alcohol, enough that he felt a little too energetic to head back and turn in for the night. But he didn’t want to go back to the party either.  
  
Contemplating his options, Aoba eventually whipped his cellphone out of his back pocket. Activating it, the clock on the display told him it was just after midnight. He scrolled through his address book until the highlight landed on the name ‘Sei.’  
  
 **To: Sei**  
  
 _Message_  
Are you awake?  
  
After waiting a few minutes and receiving no reply, Aoba shoved the phone back into his pocket. Aoba stared out at the view of the town the veranda offered him, the red lights of the “Flaming Willow" mirrored on the glass walls of the buildings nearby. Over the loud thumps of music, Aoba distinctly heard the sound of something rustling beside him. Looking towards the source of the sound on reflex, Aoba yelped and jumped back when he spotted someone sitting on the ground a few feet away from him. The stranger stared up at him calmly. He popped something into his mouth and munched on it.  
  
Aoba was stunned into silence for a few moments before he yelled, “Where did you come from?"  
  
The young man waited until he finished chewing before answering. “I’ve been here this whole time."  
  
"Why didn’t you say anything then?"  
  
The man shrugged. “Why should I have to?" There was another rustling sound. Investigating further, Aoba realized the man was carrying a large ziplock bag filled with cookies. He bit into another cookie and looked away, seeming to lose interest in Aoba. Frowning, Aoba decided to ignore the man in return and leaned against the veranda railing, trying to look casual.  
  
After several minutes of silence, interrupted only by the occasional rustling of plastic and the quiet crunch of cookies against teeth, Aoba got bored enough to ask, “I’m guessing you didn’t like the party?"  
  
"I didn’t come here for the party."  
  
Aoba turned to look at him, brow raised. “Don’t tell me you came here to eat cookies?"  
  
The man once again waited until he finished chewing before responding, “No. I overheard someone say there would be free pizza. But it was already gone by the time I arrived." He made a ‘t’ch’ sound in irritation and glared at nothing. Aoba couldn’t help but smile at the childish reaction.  
  
"So now you’re eating cookies."  
  
"Well, since there’s nothing else…"  
  
Aoba watched as the man finished off another one and realized his own hunger. Pointing to the ziplock bag, Aoba asked, “Do you mind if I have one?"  
  
The man stared at his hand like it was a foreign artifact. “These cookies are mine."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but could you please give me one? I haven’t eaten in a while. I would buy my own, but the grocery stores are all closed now."  
  
"But these are mine."  
  
Aoba felt his eye twitch in irritation. To think there were people over the age of ten who were still this selfish! “You have like twenty of them left in that bag. Are you really going to eat them all on your own?"  
  
"I might," the man grumbled in a petulant tone of voice.  
  
Aoba huffed and turned away before he got any angrier. What an annoying brat! After fuming for a minute, an idea cropped up in his mind. Smirking, Aoba said, voice laced with false disappointment, “Then I guess I have no choice but to buy something to eat. Though the pizza parlor is the only thing still open."  
  
The man’s head snapped up. Aoba had to stop himself from laughing at how alarmed he looked. “What pizza parlor?"  
  
"I know of one a few blocks away. It’ll be hard for me to eat a whole pizza on my own, though. I suppose I could’ve invited you along in exchange for the cookie. But since you didn’t offer me one, I’ll just have to go alone. Oh well." Aoba turned and sauntered away, grinning to himself in satisfaction when he heard the man call from behind him, “Wait a minute."  
  
He stood up, glowering at Aoba like an angry little boy. He held out the ziplock bag, its mouth wide open. “Take as many as you want."  
  
Aoba’s grin grew wider. He reached into the bag and grabbed one. It had been hard for Aoba to make out the man’s face when he was eclipsed by the shadow of the building, but illuminated in the red lights, he could clearly see that the man had several piercings on different areas of his face. He wondered if he had just gotten himself involved with a troublemaker.  
  
Aoba took a large bite, his eyes widening in surprise at the taste. “These are really good! It has a really unique taste." Aoba quickly devoured what remained of the cookie. It had a slightly spicy flavor, kind of like a gingerbread cookie. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what that ingredient was. Licking the crumbs off his fingers, Aoba asked, “What kind of cookies are these?"  
  
The man shrugged. “I didn’t ask. Though the guy I bought them from looked and smelled like a pothead, so they probably have weed in them."  
  
Aoba gaped at him in horror. “Wait, what??"  
  
"They probably have weed in them."  
  
"Yeah, I heard you the first time! Why the hell didn’t you warn me?"  
  
The man smirked, and Aoba countered with a glare. “You didn’t ask. Besides, they’re not even strong. I’ve eaten six of them and I don’t feel anything."  
  
"Well, _you_ might be okay, but I’ve never smoked or done anything with weed before, ever!"  
  
"I haven’t either."  
  
Aoba balked. The man just continued staring at him, the amused smirk lingering on his lips. “Why would you buy so many cookies if you don’t even do weed?"  
  
"I already told you. I was hungry." The man’s tone was similar to that of an adult explaining something to a toddler. Aoba felt like if he spent too much time around this guy, he would be exasperated to no end. “Anyway, didn’t you say the pizza place is closing soon? Let’s go."  
  
Without waiting for Aoba to respond, the man walked towards the stairs and off the veranda. A very intoxicated student stumbled out of the building at around the same time, and the man wordlessly shoved the bag of cookies into the other student’s arms. In his drunken state, the student accepted it without question and exuberantly slapped the man on the back in thanks before running off with his spoils.  
  
Aoba broke into a jog to catch up, sending the man an odd look once they were side-by-side.  
  
"Definitely weird."  
  
The man glanced at him. “What is?"  
  
"You."  
  
The smirk resurfaced. “Aren’t _you_ the weird one? Who would start talking to a stranger for no reason, then invite them out to eat?"  
  
"I think most people would call that ‘being friendly and considerate of others.’ And besides, going by your logic, aren’t you just as weird for accepting this stranger’s offer?"  
  
"If I have something to gain from it, then no."  
  
"What an un-cute answer." As an afterthought, Aoba added, “My name is Aoba, by the way." When he received no reply, Aoba sighed loudly and asked, “Is your name a secret or something?"  
  
"Noiz."  
  
"Noi…z?"  
  
"My name is Noiz."  
  
"Noiz," Aoba repeated. The word felt alien on his tongue.  
  
—————  
  
It was a twenty-minute wait for the pizza. Once it was ready, the two of them carried it to a picnic table right outside the shop. Settling himself on the wooden bench, Aoba asked, “I’m guessing you’re a freshman too?"  
  
Noiz nodded, then bit off the tip of his pizza slice.  
  
"So how are you liking college life so far?"  
  
"It’s okay, I guess."  
  
"Just okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Noiz quickly finished his first slice and immediately grabbed a second.  
  
"You don’t seem very enthusiastic."  
  
"Should I be?"  
  
"Most people are! Aren’t you at least a little excited or nervous? College is a big transition, after all."  
  
"What’s there to be nervous about? It’s just school."  
  
It was like every word that came out of Noiz’s mouth sounded either bored or sarcastic. Deciding that maintaining a normal conversation with this guy was clearly impossible, Aoba dropped his line of questioning and ate in silence.  
  
On a whim, Aoba glanced up. A surprised gasp escaped his lips. “Noiz, look!" He pointed up at the sparkling night sky. Despite the bright lights that illuminated the entire campus, the stars clearly shone through the veil of light, the bright dots patterning the entire breadth of the sky.  
  
Noiz’s gaze traced Aoba’s line of sight. “What is it?"  
  
"The stars!"  
  
"What about them?"  
  
"Isn’t it amazing that we can see them so clearly in spite of all the lights?"  
  
Noiz scoffed. “What’s so amazing about some specks of light in the sky?"  
  
Aoba momentarily tore his gaze from the dazzling view to glare at the man sitting across from him. “What a killjoy. Well, _I_ appreciate it." Aoba admired the sky once more and a smile overtook his face as a pleasant memory resurfaced in his mind. Despite Noiz’s disinterest, Aoba felt compelled to relay the memory. “When I was twelve, my brother and I took a large sleeping bag to our backyard and slept there for the night. We had never gone camping before, so we pretended we were. We huddled together in the sleeping bag and tried to count all the stars we could see." Aoba smiled wistfully. “It’s weird to think that we’re both still living under the same sky, even though we’re so far away now. I wonder if he can see the same stars I see."  
  
Noiz was silent. Aoba figured he probably hadn’t even been listening, but when he lowered his head to look at the other man, he was surprised to see Noiz’s eyes staring back into his, attentive. “I guess that’s why I feel nervous," Aoba continued, “Because at home, I’m familiar with everything and I feel comfortable. But here, it’s the exact opposite." Aoba paused and waited for a reaction. He got none.  
  
Finally, Aoba asked, “Don’t you feel the same way?"  
  
The response was automatic. “Not at all." There was a hard edge to his voice that left Aoba feeling cold. He decided not to press the issue.  
  
After several moments of tense silence, Aoba could no longer resist the impulse to at least end the conversation on a positive note. “Well, you could say the good and bad thing about college is that it’s a place of new beginnings." Aoba was tentative in saying his next words, feeling like he was treading on dangerous territory, “If you don’t feel very comfortable at your home, then this could be a new home for you."  
  
Noiz said nothing, but he didn’t look angry either. The rest of their meal passed in silence.  
  
—————  
  
It turned out that the both of them lived in Glitter, so they walked home together with a mostly-empty pizza box in tow. Once they reached the lobby, Aoba shoved the leftovers into the other man’s hands. Noiz looked at him, confused, and said, “You’re the one who bought it. You should take it."  
  
Aoba shook his head, smiling. “You can have it. I can tell you like this stuff way more than I do."  
  
Noiz glanced at the pizza, then back at him, then back at the pizza, clearly still uncertain. Aoba giggled. He was kind of cute when he was flustered. “Just think of it as a parting gift, okay?" He waved and headed for the elevators. “See you around."  
  
The elevator had been parked on the first floor, and so its doors opened immediately. Aoba had just stepped into it, when he heard Noiz ask, “Your name is Aoba, right?"  
  
"Huh? Yeah…"  
  
Noiz stared at the ground, considering something. He looked back up at Aoba and opened his mouth for a second, but then quickly shut it.  
  
Aoba smiled and said the words for him. “Good night, Noiz."  
  
"…Good night."  
  
The elevator doors then shielded Noiz from his view. As the elevator ascended, Aoba wondered if he should have asked Noiz for his number. But then he wondered if maybe that would’ve been too forward. He rested his head on the cool metal wall and closed his eyes. He was way too tired to think about this kind of stuff.  
  
When he entered his room, he immediately toppled to the ground as something heavy tackled him.  
  
"AOBA-SAN!"  
  
"E-eh? Clear?" Aoba asked, startled. “What’s wrong?"  
  
Clear let go of him and sniffled, eyes glistening. “I fell asleep with Ren, and when I woke up, you were gone! Where did you disappear to, Aoba-san? I was so worried!"  
  
"Ah-" Aoba looked at him apologetically. He had completely forgotten to mention the party before Clear nodded off, so it only made sense that he would be worried. “I’m sorry, Clear. I went to a party with my friend, Koujaku. I would’ve told you, but I didn’t think you’d wake up so soon."  
  
Clear sighed in relief. “As long as Aoba-san is okay." He got up and helped Aoba to his feet.  
  
"I really am sorry. Next time, I’ll leave a note or text you just in case."  
  
"Yes, I think that’s a very good idea! And if I go somewhere late at night, then I will also tell Aoba-san."  
  
They each returned to their respective half of the room. Aoba flopped onto his bed and felt the sleepiness hit him at full strength. It felt odd in combination with his full stomach. “I shouldn’t have eaten so much pizza," he mumbled. His face brightened as he reflected upon the events of the night.  
  
He rolled over to his side, facing his roommate. “You know what, Clear? I think I’m going to like it here."  
  
Clear smiled. “I’m happy to hear that, Aoba-san."


	4. Toue University: A Day in the City [Part I]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba gets a care package from Sei, then bumps into Noiz at the place he least expected. Clear and Aoba run into Mink while taking Ren for a walk.

The first week of class blew by in a whirlwind of activity. For his first semester, Aoba decided to test the waters and take five different “Intro to" classes, each in a different discipline. In contrast, Clear was taking mostly Music courses; on the first day of class, he had divulged that he was at Toue University on a music scholarship. He and Clear compared schedules and found that they were able to eat lunch together most days and dinner everyday. Their meal plan allowed them to buy groceries whenever they skipped a meal at the cafeteria, so they stocked up on supplies in Aoba’s mini-fridge. Clear would use the groceries to cook breakfast for the both of them when he woke up early enough to, which was surprisingly often.  
  
The only time Aoba had had the opportunity to see Koujaku was the couple times he was able to join Clear and him for dinner. Koujaku was courteous to Clear, if not somewhat baffled by him and his odd mannerisms. The worst was an incident where Clear made a fuss over the “American dogs" in the cafeteria and Koujaku spent five minutes explaining to Clear that they weren’t actually made from American dogs. Otherwise, Koujaku happily chatted with them about his classes, many of them business-related, and all the people he had met in recent days. When asked about his roommates, Koujaku gruffly replied that at any given moment, both were “either MIA or on their laptops 24/7."  
  
Despite living in the same building, Aoba hadn’t bumped into Mink again since his first day. And to his disappointment, he hadn’t seen Noiz at all either.  
  
Sprinting from the Sociology building to the post office, Aoba managed to squeeze in line right before the staff closed the mailing room. He had a package slip, and even without looking at the return address, he knew what it was and who had sent it. He practically skipped back to his dorm in joy, but came to an abrupt halt once he reached the lobby. He looked to his left, in the direction of the hallway that housed Koujaku’s room. They hadn’t had time to properly visit each other all week and now would be the perfect excuse to.  
  
A minute later and Aoba was knocking on Koujaku’s door. After a brief wait, the door swung open just wide enough for Koujaku’s body to fill the width of the gap. “Yo, Aoba! What’s up?" He glanced down at the box Aoba was hugging against his chest.  
  
"I got a care package from grandma and Sei. There’s probably some taiyaki in here… if you still like them, that is." Aoba faintly blushed. Spoken aloud, the words sounded more childish than they had in his head. He had no idea what Koujaku liked to eat now that they were older. Despite Aoba’s reservations, Koujaku responded with a warm smile and stood aside to let him into the room.  
  
"Come on in. Sorry about the mess." Koujaku turned to face someone that the door blocked from Aoba’s view. “This is my friend Aoba. And Aoba, this is my other roommate, Noiz."  
  
Aoba froze and stared at Koujaku, slack-jawed. Once the initial shock passed through his system, all that remained was disbelief. Pushing past Koujaku and stepping fully into the room to confirm his suspicions, he saw that the man languidly sprawled on the room’s third bed was indeed the Noiz he went on an impulsive pizza excursion with. In contrast to Aoba’s bewildered reaction, Noiz calmly stared back at him, fingers resting motionlessly on the keyboard of his laptop.  
  
Koujaku’s eyes darted back-and-forth between the two. “Uh. Do you two know each other or something?"  
  
Sensing that Noiz would be unwilling to explain, Aoba mumbled, “Yeah… we’ve met before. I didn’t realize he was your roommate though."  
  
Noiz broke eye contact and returned his attention to his laptop screen, his fingers tapping the keys with rapid strokes. Aoba frowned. Did Noiz not remember him?  
  
Before Aoba could dwell over it too long, Koujaku ushered him to his side of the room. He glanced at Mink’s corner of the room and saw that the man in question was absent once again. Aoba dropped the package onto Koujaku’s desk, and with Koujaku’s pocketknife, tore the box flaps free from their bindings. As expected, the box contained a packet of taiyaki as well as an assortment of other homemade baked goods. Koujaku grabbed a taiyaki and took a large bite, letting out a nostalgic sigh as he savored the taste.  
  
"Tae-san’s baking is still as good as ever I see."  
  
Digging further through the contents of the box, Aoba found a small note attached to one of the packages.  
  


Though he chuckled at the reminder, Aoba felt the sting of tears welling in his eyes as he finished reading the message. Over the past week, he had often told himself that he didn’t have the right to feel lonely while he had friends like Koujaku and Clear to keep him company, but Aoba knew there would always be a slight ache in his heart as long as he was parted from his twin.  
  
As though sensing his growing sense of melancholy, Koujaku nudged the box towards him. “Eat up! They wouldn’t want for this food to go to waste."  
  
Aoba smiled and nodded. He picked out a manju bun to munch on.  
  
"How is he? Sei, I mean."  
  
"He’s doing well, I’m sure." He paused to swallow a mouthful of red bean paste. “Since graduating high school, he’s been helping out at Haga-san’s shop."  
  
"That old junk shop?" Koujaku laughed. “I had almost forgotten about that place. I remember you and Sei would always make a mess of that store when we were kids."  
  
"Well, that part hasn’t really changed. Sei is still really clumsy."  
  
"Poor Haga-san. The amount of stress the three of us gave that man probably reduced his lifespan by ten years."  
  
Koujaku finished his taiyaki, and to Aoba’s surprise, shyly asked if he could have one more. Grinning, Aoba shoved another one into his hands. Maybe the Koujaku of the present really wasn’t so different from the Koujaku that resided in his memories.  
  
Finishing his last bite of the manju bun, Aoba chanced a glance at the room’s other resident. Noiz’s attention seemed singularly focused on his laptop. Though he figured Noiz would probably just ignore him, he took the box of baked goods and crossed the short distance to Noiz’s bed. Noiz tore his gaze from the screen to look up at him, though his fingers continued their rhythmic dance on the keyboard.  
  
"My family sent these to me. Do you want to try some?"  
  
Betraying Aoba’s expectations, Noiz’s eyes curiously scanned the contents of the box. “What’s in there?"  
  
Aoba rifled through the packets. “Umm… there’s taiyaki, dorayaki, manju buns, and doughnuts."  
  
Noiz’s brows scrunched up in confusion. “Taiyaki? Dorayaki?"  
  
"They’re Japanese snacks," Koujaku called from behind, “These ones are filled with red bean paste."  
  
 _Ah, that’s right_ , Aoba thought. He had completely forgotten that Noiz was from Germany. “You should try the doughnuts," Aoba suggested. “The ones my grandma makes are the best in our whole town."  
  
After a moment’s consideration, Noiz said, “Fine. But my hands are preoccupied right now, so you’ll have to feed me."  
  
It took a moment for the words to sink in. Aoba gaped. “What?!"  
  
Noiz smirked. He used his chin to point at his computer screen. He seemed to be playing a game that involved a tiny character, presumably the one Noiz was controlling, facing off against a giant humanoid monster. “I’m solo’ing a boss right now. I can’t pause the game and I’ll die if I stop for even a few seconds. So you’ll have to feed me."  
  
"Noiz! Even for a joke, that’s going too far." Aoba heard Koujaku noisily stomp up next to him. There was more than a hint of warning in his voice. “Just forget it, Aoba. This guy is just messing with you."  
  
Noiz glanced back at the screen as the monster unleashed a powerful attack, which he deftly avoided. “I don’t think my request is unreasonable. Besides, why do _you_ care so much?"  
  
Lines of irritation scored Koujaku’s face. “Listen, you-"  
  
"Koujaku, it’s okay! I’m not offended. I already know how strange this guy is." Aoba picked up a doughnut from the box.  
  
"Oi oi, Aoba." Koujaku lightly tugged on his arm. “Don’t tell me you’re actually going to do it."  
  
Aoba sighed. “I don’t know why either, but I guess I am. Let’s just say this is a special one-time service."  
  
Noiz had been glancing between them and the screen throughout the exchange, but now his eyes were completely fixed on Aoba. It made him feel strangely self-conscious. Then, with an expression that was a mixture of both smugness and amusement, Noiz opened his mouth and waited to be served.  
  
Resisting the urge to smack him instead, Aoba lifted his fingers and carefully dropped the doughnut into his mouth. Noiz chewed slowly, considering the taste. “It’s sweet," he concluded.  
  
"Well, it _is_ a doughnut."  
  
Noiz swallowed, then said, “Another one." He opened his mouth again.  
  
Aoba’s eye twitched. “This is the last one!" He dumped another doughnut into his mouth.  
  
"Alright, that’s enough," Koujaku snapped, his patience wearing thin. “Let’s go before he asks you to do any other crazy crap."  
  
Koujaku grabbed Aoba’s arm and dragged him out of the room. For some reason, he seemed angry. Aoba stole one last glimpse at Noiz, who was staring back at him, before Koujaku shut the door behind them.  
  
Koujaku sighed, releasing his grip on Aoba. “I’m sorry about… him. I really don’t get what that guy’s thinking."  
  
"It’s okay. Besides, he might be kind of irritating, but I don’t think he’s a bad guy."  
  
Koujaku studied him for a long moment. “You know, Aoba," he said, the worry evident on his face, “You really shouldn’t go along with people’s strange requests so easily. Someone could take advantage of you if you’re not careful."  
  
"Eh? What do you mean?"  
  
"Like, you could get tricked or conned. Sometimes I just think you’re too trusting."  
  
Aoba smiled. “Even if something like that happens, I can rely on you to help, can’t I? You’ll swoop in and save me, just like when we were kids."  
  
Aoba thought that Koujaku would grin and laugh it off like he always did, but to Aoba’s surprise, Koujaku’s face suddenly became very red. Just seeing him made Aoba feel embarrassed too. “I… I should probably get back now," Aoba stammered, suddenly feeling very awkward. “Do you want another taiyaki before I go?"  
  
Koujaku shook his head.  
  
"Okay then. See you later! Text me if you want to hang out some time this weekend." Aoba started heading towards the hallway exit.  
  
"Aoba!" Aoba turned back to look at his friend. His cheeks were still red, but his usual grin was back on his face. “Thanks for the food. And feel free to drop by more often, okay?"  
  
Smiling, Aoba nodded and waved, then walked back out into the front lobby.  
  
A couple minutes and an elevator ride later, and Aoba was facing the door of his room. He tested the doorknob, which he found to be unlocked, then opened the door with a creak and popped his head in. Clear was sitting on the floor, teasing Ren with a ball-shaped chew toy that he was holding just out of the puppy’s reach. He looked up to greet him. “Hello, Aoba-san!"  
  
"Hello, Clear! I have snacks for you!"  
  
Clear’s eyes grew wide. “Aoba-san, you got something for me?"  
  
"Uhh… Well, technically, they’re for me. But you can have as much as you want." Aoba laid the box next to Clear, who finally lowered the chew toy to a height where Ren could claim it, the dog relishing the feel of his squishy prize between his teeth.  
  
Clear happily grabbed one of the last remaining taiyaki from its packet. “I haven’t eaten one of these in a long time! When I was little, I thought these were actual fish that my grandpa caught from the ocean. It wasn’t until I was a little older that he explained to me that it’s just bread and bean paste."  
  
In the past week, Aoba had found that Clear had frequent, but endearing misunderstandings about many everyday things. Aoba had fondly coined a term for these misunderstandings: “Clear-isms."  
  
Clear’s question pulled Aoba from his thoughts. “Did a friend give these to you?"  
  
"No. My grandma and my brother sent these to me. The package just arrived today."  
  
Clear gasped, though it came out muffled as Clear had the head of the taiyaki shoved into his mouth. He bit down and chewed before exclaiming, “Aoba-san has a brother?!"  
  
"Yup. My twin brother, Sei."  
  
"YOU’RE A TWIN??" Clear looked at Aoba like he had just sprouted a pair of wings. “Aoba-san! Why didn’t you mention that before??"  
  
"It didn’t come up," Aoba said, very amused by Clear’s reaction.  
  
Clear just continued staring at him, eyes huge. “Does he look just like you?"  
  
"Not exactly. Our hair is definitely very different."  
  
Clear’s eyes were glued to him for a little while longer. Then, he finally looked back down at his taiyaki and nibbled on it. “Can I meet Sei-san some day?"  
  
"Yeah! He and grandma are both coming to help bring all my stuff home at the end of the school year."  
  
Clear sent Aoba a smile that seemed to brighten up the whole room. “I’ll look forward to it, then! Especially if Sei-san is as wonderful as Aoba-san is!"  
  
—————  
  
Once Clear finished his taiyaki, Aoba suggested they take Ren for a walk before dinner. While outside, Ren sniffed and dug at every bush the pair walked past, until Aoba was forced to guide them to an area that was sparse in greenery. Just as Aoba was about to suggest to Clear that they head back, he spotted a familiar tall, imposing figure walking towards them in the opposite direction.  
  
"Mink?"  
  
Mink barely acknowledged their presence. He seemed fully intent on walking by without even so much as a “hello" until Ren suddenly blocked his path. Ren stood on his hind legs and excitedly pawed at the legs of Mink’s pants.  
  
"Ren!" Aoba yelled, tugging at the puppy’s leash. Mink merely stared down at Ren, face a perfect blank. Finally, Aoba managed to pull the puppy away, who whined in response. “I’m sorry about that! He isn’t usually so friendly with strangers…" Aoba glanced down at his puppy, honestly confused why he would choose to approach Mink, of all people.  
  
"It’s fine."  
  
"Eh?" Aoba looked up at Mink, unable to hide his shock. He was surprised Mink had bothered saying anything at all. In the back of his mind, he noted that this was his first time hearing Mink’s voice.  
  
"Are you one of Aoba-san’s friends?" Clear asked from beside him.  
  
Aoba volunteered to answer for Mink. “We’re… acquaintances, kind of. Mink is one of Koujaku’s roommates."  
  
"Oh! I am Aoba-san’s roommate, Clear. It’s nice to meet you! Are you heading back to the dorms now?" Clear politely asked.  
  
Aoba steeled himself, expecting a cold reply, or even no reply at all. To Aoba’s immense surprise, Mink nodded.  
  
"Then let’s walk back together!"  
  
Before Aoba could fully process what was happening, all three of them were walking home together. As they made their way back to Glitter, Aoba was quiet as Clear asked Mink mundane questions about his classes and professors. Mink answered every question, albeit tersely. All the courses he was taking were in the Anthropology or History departments. He seemed particularly interested in studying indigenous societies.  
  
Aoba and Clear paused a block short of reaching the dorms. To be safe, Aoba always put Ren in his backpack when leaving and entering the dorm building. Mink stopped and waited.  
  
"You don’t have to wait for us," Aoba said to him, “We don’t want to hold you up or anything."  
  
Mink stared at Ren as Aoba began to load him into his bag.  
  
"That dog."  
  
Feeling somewhat alarmed, Aoba looked up and locked eyes with Mink. He wasn’t going to tell on them, was he?  
  
Mink continued, “Residential Life checks the dorms on the 20th of every month. Make sure the dog isn’t there that day." Then, without another word, Mink abruptly turned and walked away. Aoba just stared as his back grew smaller and smaller.  
  
"I like him," Clear said, nodding his approval. “He’s nice."  
  
Just half an hour ago, Clear’s words would have seemed absurd to Aoba. But now, he couldn’t help agreeing. “Yeah. I guess he really is."  
  
—————  
  
The next day, at a time when most other students were either still in bed or nursing hangovers, Aoba walked to the pick-up stop for the city shuttle. The nearest city was a full hour’s drive away, and so Aoba made sure to take the earliest shuttle so he could have as much time as he wanted to shop around. He had invited Clear to come along, but his roommate had decided to instead stay indoors so he could get some work done and keep an eye on Ren.  
  
The shuttle was already parked at the stop when he arrived. As expected, the vehicle was largely devoid of other passengers. The only other person there was sitting in the frontmost seat.  
  
His eyes widened once he noticed who it was. “Noiz?!"


	5. Toue University: A Day in the City [Part II]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba and Noiz spend a day together in the city. They bicker, eat ramen, go shopping, then bicker some more.

The shuttle’s only two passengers sat across from each other in silence. Aoba had decided to sit in the seat next to Noiz as a courtesy, but seeing as how Noiz was not even talking to him, he wondered if he should have sat further back and spared himself the discomfort of being totally ignored. They had had a brief exchange as Aoba boarded the vehicle, during which he gleaned that Noiz was going into the city to buy some accessories for his laptop that weren’t available in any of the stores on-campus. Since then, he hadn’t said a single word.  
  
Aoba glanced at the other man, who was still staring out his window at the cornfields that surrounded them for miles. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt the strong desire to become better acquainted with this odd young man. Deciding to throw discretion to the wind, Aoba called out Noiz’s name.  
  
Noiz finally turned to look at him. “What?"  
  
Searching his mind for a conversation topic, Aoba settled on asking, “What classes are you taking?"  
  
"Why do you want to know?"  
  
For some reason, the other man sounded almost defensive. Hesitantly, Aoba replied, “I’m just curious. I mean… it’s a pretty normal question to ask, isn’t it?"  
  
Noiz was silent for a long moment. Finally, he let out a barely audible sigh. “Information Systems 100, Network Infrastructure, Introduction to Logic…" Noiz listed off his classes in a monotone voice. They were mostly courses in the Computer Programming department.  
  
"Wow, those all sound really complicated."  
  
"Not really."  
  
The conversation died as quickly as it had started. Trying to stretch their dialogue out for as long as possible, Aoba asked, “So how are you getting along with your roommates?"  
  
"…My roommates?"  
  
"Yeah. Obviously I know Koujaku, but I’ve met Mink before too. What do you think of them?"  
  
Noiz’s eyes narrowed. “Did he tell you to ask me that?"  
  
Aoba drew back a little, surprised by the underlying hostility in his voice. “Huh? Who?"  
  
"Koujaku. You’re friends with him, aren’t you? Did he tell you to find out what I think of him?"  
  
The hostility in his voice was completely transparent now. Aoba grit his teeth at the insinuation. “What are you saying? Of course not! Why would you even think that?"  
  
Noiz smiled bitterly. “Why else would you ask that question? Aren’t you only talking to me because I’m your friend’s roommate? It’s reasonable to assume that you would report everything I said about him afterwards."  
  
The accusation made Aoba feel different phases of emotion: first shock, then hurt, which at last bled away into anger. “What the hell? Are you always this suspicious of people?"  
  
"Well, I’m right, aren’t I?"  
  
"Of course not, you brat! I’m asking because I want to get to know you better but I have no idea what else to talk about!" The words flew out of Aoba’s mouth before he could stop to consider them. He felt embarrassed at his own honesty, but his anger devoured all other emotions.  
  
Noiz still seemed skeptical. “Why would you want to get to know me?"  
  
"Isn’t it obvious? I want to be friends with you. God knows why after this conversation, but I do!"  
  
Noiz seemed visibly perturbed by his response. After a moment’s consideration, Noiz asked, “I don’t get it. Why would you be interested in me? I’ve given you no reason to like me."  
  
"Do you really think so poorly of yourself that you don’t understand why people would want to be friends with you? Granted, you do come off as a selfish brat sometimes. But you have good qualities too."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
 _Is he fishing for compliments_ , Aoba wondered. But the serious expression on Noiz’s face expressed otherwise. Aoba treated the question with due consideration. Why _did_ he like Noiz in the first place?  
  
Noiz waited patiently, and at last Aoba responded, “When we first met, I told you about the time my brother and I fell asleep beneath the stars. And even though you didn’t seem able to relate to the story at all, you still listened to me. That was the first time I thought, ‘he’s not a bad person, after all.’"  
  
Noiz just looked even more perplexed. “Something that small doesn’t say anything about how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ a person is."  
  
"Small things like that _do_ say a lot. You probably won’t like me saying this, but I think you care about people a little bit more than you let on."  
  
As expected, Noiz did seem a little upset. “You assume too much. And you’re way too trusting."  
  
"Well, I’d rather be too trusting than too distrusting… Like a certain somebody."  
  
Noiz made a “t’ch" sound, annoyed by his retort. Brows furrowed, he fell into a contemplative silence, his eyes cast downwards. Aoba noted that, as time passed, Noiz’s expression appeared to soften. After a long stretch of nothing, Aoba barely caught Noiz mutter, “You’re strange."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
Their eyes met. “You’re strange. I really don’t get you at all." Aoba opened his mouth to counter the insult, but Noiz spoke first. “That said, I can’t deny that your strangeness makes you interesting."  
  
Aoba huffed. “I would hardly call that a compliment."  
  
"It’s an observation. Besides, I’m just being honest. Friends are honest with each other, aren’t they?" Noiz smirked and Aoba scowled. He had the feeling that he had just gotten himself involved with a very exasperating fellow.  
  
—————  
  
It was a half hour till noon by the time they finally arrived in the city center. The moment they got off the shuttle, Noiz turned to him and casually asked, “Are you hungry?"  
  
Without waiting to hear his answer, Noiz started walking towards a nearby ramen stand. When he noticed that Aoba wasn’t following him, he looked at him over his shoulder, brow raised.  
  
 _What the heck_ , Aoba mentally complained, but caught up with him anyway. Noiz inspected the menu overhead as Aoba dryly observed, “First you don’t even want to have a conversation with me, and now you want to eat lunch together? Do you only ever want to be around me if there’s food involved?"  
  
Ignoring his comment, Noiz muttered, “Menma? Nitamago? Kamaboko? What the hell is this stuff?"  
  
Aoba sighed. “Do you just want me to order for the both of us?"  
  
"…Fine."  
  
Aoba ordered two bowls of shoyu ramen with roasted pork slices. Once their orders arrived, Noiz studied the contents of the bowl, poking the toppings with the ends of his chopsticks.  
  
"Why is there an egg?"  
  
"All the ramen here comes with an egg."  
  
Aoba smiled to himself as Noiz continued to poke at the ingredients. Finally, he tentatively took a sip of the broth. "…Salty."  
  
"Do you not like it?"  
  
"It’s okay."  
  
For several minutes, the only sounds the two of them made were slurping noises. Aoba finished eating first. As he waited for Noiz, he took his cellphone out of his bag and sent Clear a text asking him if there was anything he wanted him to buy from the city. He received a reply a minute later.  
  
 **From: Clear**  
  
 _Message_  
Aoba-san! If you don’t mind, I saw that there is a popular cellphone case that has a cute jellyfish design! If you find one, can you please buy it? Of course, I will repay you when you return.  <3  
  
Here is a picture of the design:  
  
{ attached image: jellyfishcase.jpg }  
  
Aoba smiled as he opened the attachment. The cartoon jellyfish featured on the case looked just like Clear’s doll. Recalling something Noiz mentioned earlier, an idea popped into Aoba’s mind.  
  
"Hey Noiz, you need to go to an electronics store, right? Are there any really large ones around here?"  
  
Noiz pulled out his own phone and ran a search. “There’s a Ks Denki in a department store nearby."  
  
"Okay! There’s something I need to get for my roommate, so I’ll go with you." Aoba expected for Noiz to reply with some smartass quip, but he was surprisingly complaisant. Upon leaving the shop, Noiz surprised him again when he offered to pay for both their meals, claiming that “money wasn’t a problem for him anyway."  
  
"If you do stuff like this, people are going to think we’re on a date," Aoba joked.  
  
Noiz smirked. “Aren’t we?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
Noiz got up and walked away without a word, leaving Aoba gaping in his seat. He glanced at him over his shoulder. “You coming along?"  
  
—————  
  
To Aoba and Clear’s mutual delight, the Ks Denki did carry the jellyfish cellphone case Clear wanted. After purchasing all they needed from the electronics store, Aoba had managed to rope Noiz into accompanying him to the pet store with surprising ease.  
  
"We shouldn’t be there for too long," Aoba noted as they neared their destination. “Was there anything else you needed to do afterwards?"  
  
"Not really."  
  
"Hmm. Well, there’s a bunch of clothing stores around here, so we could just walk around the area afterwards, if that’s okay with you?"  
  
"That’s fine. We still have a couple hours to kill anyway."  
  
Aoba smiled at the other man, still a little surprised. Since arriving in the city, Noiz had been surprisingly cooperative. His sudden shift in behavior was so dramatic that this new, accommodating Noiz seemed almost surreal.  
  
The pair soon arrived at a large warehouse-style building. Stepping inside, they were immediately greeted by the sights and sounds of the various animals on display at the front of the store. Most of the pets for sale were fish, birds and hamsters, though Aoba noticed that the collection included more unusual animals, such as large spiders and snakes, the latter of which Aoba preferred to not even look at. Scanning the back of the store, Aoba quickly spotted the aisle labeled ‘Dog Supplies.’  
  
Aoba took a few steps forward and noticed that Noiz appeared to be stalled behind him. “Noiz, it’s over here," Aoba called, trying to wave him over. Aoba then noticed that Noiz was staring off to the side, distracted by something. Following his line of sight, Aoba’s eyes fell onto a bundle of cages that housed small rabbits of various colors. Aoba glanced back-and-forth between Noiz and the rabbits, his grin growing wider with each rotation. Had he just discovered Noiz’s soft spot?  
  
Slinking up next to the other man, Aoba gently nudged him to get his attention. “You can get closer to them, you know."  
  
As if awoken from a trance, Noiz jumped a bit after being nudged. He looked away from Aoba, avoiding eye contact. “No, it’s nothing. Let’s just go."  
  
Getting a closer look at him, Aoba saw that his cheeks were slightly tinged pink. Aoba’s lips turned upward in a mischievous grin. Was Noiz actually being _shy_ about something?

"I insist! We have plenty of time."  
  
Noiz knit his brows in irritation. “I said it’s fi-" Before Noiz could stop him, Aoba snuck up behind him and pushed him towards the rabbits.  
  
"There’s no need to be embarrassed," Aoba teased. Noiz shoved his hands in his pockets and sulked like a little boy as Aoba dragged him closer to the cages. His disposition immediately brightened once one particular rabbit hopped towards them as they approached, staring at them from just behind bars. Noiz leaned down until he was eye-level with the creature, a small smile on his lips. One nearby worker noticed their interest and asked, “Would you like to hold her?"  
  
Noiz stood up straight as he began to answer, “No, it’s-"  
  
"Yes, please!" Aoba interrupted, grin still plastered on his face. He pointed to his companion. “And make sure to give the bunny to him."  
  
Noiz glared, the pinkness of his cheeks even more visible than before, and Aoba poked his tongue out in response. Noiz reluctantly stuck his hands out as the worker placed the rabbit in them. She was small enough to fit in the palm of one hand.  
  
"Bunnies don’t normally like to be held," the worker informed them, “But this one is unusually friendly. And it looks like she likes you."  
  
Noiz used his thumb to pet the bunny’s forehead. The bunny craned her neck to sniff the obtrusive finger. Smiling, Noiz poked its nose, which caused her to wrinkle it in response. “I like this one."

The bunny affectionately nuzzled up against his fingers and Noiz laughed, the sound of it warming Aoba’s heart. He was sometimes bratty, like a child, but it appeared that he could be as cute and innocent as one too.  
  
Noiz turned to the worker. “How much does she cost?"  
  
Aoba’s smile disappeared without a trace. “Wait, what?? Noiz, you’re not actually going to buy her?"  
  
"Why shouldn’t I?"  
  
"There’s a whole bunch of reasons why you shouldn’t! Pets aren’t allowed at the dorms!"  
  
Noiz sent him an accusatory look. “But you have a dog."  
  
Aoba faltered and bit his lip guiltily. “Well, that’s true, but I got permission from my RA and my roommate. You should at least talk it over with Koujaku and Mink first." Aoba knew full well that he was being a total hypocrite, but there was no way he was going to let Noiz buy an animal on some crazy whim!  
  
Noiz scoffed. “Why should I? I’ll be the one taking care of her, not them."  
  
"Noiz, they’re your roommates! You can’t just do whatever you want when you’re living with other people!"  
  
Noiz looked down at the little bunny in his hand and continued to caress her head. “Fine. We can keep her in _your_ room, then."  
  
Aoba gaped, truly stunned by his lack of tact. It was as though Noiz had never learned to reign in his desires and instead let them prance around totally unrestricted. “Do you even realize what you’re asking? Taking care of one pet is already a huge responsibility, much less two!"  
  
"It’ll just be for a short while, until I have the opportunity to send her to my home in Germany. In the meantime, I’ll take care of her and buy everything she needs." Sensing that the skepticism radiating from Aoba hadn’t lessened in intensity, Noiz added with a more confident tone, “I’ll make it worth your while."  
  
"Oh, _really_? In what way?"  
  
Noiz smirked. “I already told you that money isn’t a problem for me. If you ever want anything, I could buy it for you, even if it’s a rare import item."  
  
The arrogance in Noiz’s voice kindled a fire deep within Aoba. Did he really think he could solve his problems just by throwing money at people? Aoba glared daggers at the other man, feeling more upset than ever. “Are you serious? You’re dead wrong if you think you can just _bribe_ me into doing what you want!"  
  
Noiz glared back at him with equal ferocity. “Well, what the hell _do_ you want then?"  
  
Aoba bit his lip, then yelled on impulse, “Nothing! I’ll take care of the rabbit for free!"  
  
All traces of anger on Noiz’s face was quickly driven out by his total bewilderment at Aoba’s response. Aoba couldn’t help but feel satisfied that his words had had such an effect on him.  
  
"First, you didn’t want to take care of the bunny. Then I offered to reward you, and now you want to take care of her for free?" Noiz looked more lost than Aoba had ever seen him. Though admittedly, Aoba’s words had surprised even himself to a certain degree.

After a moment of thought, Aoba asked, “Do you usually pay people off when you ask them for favors?"

"Usually, yeah. Though sometimes people prefer information of some kind or specific favors." Noiz had stated it naturally, as though it were simply the way of the world.

Aoba frowned. “No one has ever done something for you just… because?"

"No." After a pause, Noiz added, “Until now, that is."  
  
Aoba sighed, suddenly feeling very worn out. “Then let’s just say that it’d be payment enough to prove to you that there are people in this world who will do you favors without you having to resort to any of that stuff."  
  
At that, Noiz fell totally silent. He finally returned his attention to the bunny who had been calmly resting on his palm throughout the entire exchange.  
  
"Are you thinking that I’m strange again?" Aoba asked.  
  
Noiz shook his head. “I think I’m starting to get used to this sort of behavior from you."  
  
Aoba snorted. He finally turned to the poor store worker, who, tempted by the prospect of a sale, had been forced to endure their little spat with a strained smile. “So how much _does_ the rabbit cost?"  
  
—————  
  
It was almost nightfall by the time the two of them arrived back at the lobby of Glitter. The pair drew many stares on their way to the dorm, the both of them hauling a multitude of shopping bags on their shoulders and elbows, as well as the rabbit cage they jointly carried between them. Though it was far too late for second thoughts, Aoba mentally bemoaned the prospect of informing Mizuki of Room 2201’s newest resident.  
  
The both of them carefully laid the cage on the ground in front of the elevator. “Okay," Aoba said, “I think I can handle carrying it on my own from here on out." He turned to say his goodbyes to the other man, but halted upon locking eyes with him. Noiz was gazing at him with a curious expression on his face. There was a certain softness in his eyes that made Aoba feel happy and embarrassed all at once.  
  
"What are you thinking right now?" Aoba asked, honestly curious about what could have elicited such an uncharacteristic expression from the usually apathetic young man.  
  
"I’m wondering how you’ll react once I do this."  
  
"Huh?" Aoba scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. “Do what?"  
  
On cue, Noiz closed the distance between them and, tipping his chin with his fingers, tilted Aoba’s face upwards to meet his. Aoba felt the tips of their noses brush and his eyelids closed on reflex. The next thing Aoba’s mind could process was the sensation of something soft pressing against his lips. He leaned into the pleasant touch, feeling his heartbeat dramatically quicken in his chest. Their lips parted as suddenly as they had connected, the warmth of Noiz’s breath spilling over Aoba’s mouth as Noiz drew back.  
  
Aoba slowly opened his eyes. His mind was sluggish in piecing together what, exactly, had just happened to him.  
  
Noiz’s eyes raked over his face and he smiled, seemingly pleased by what he saw. “That’s the look. Though your cheeks are even redder than I expected."  
  
Noiz’s words seemed to flip a switch in Aoba’s mind. He snapped out of his daze and his hands shot up to cover his apparently very red face. “Whydidyoudothat??" Aoba blurted out, feeling more flustered than he ever had in his whole life.  
  
Noiz shrugged, looking far too unperturbed for Aoba’s liking. “Consider it a thank you gift."  
  
Aoba just gawked. In its current state, his brain seemed completely unable to comprehend his crazy answer. Thankfully, he was saved from the burden of replying once the elevator door opened behind him. A small group of people exited the elevator, and Aoba used the brief distraction as an opportunity to escape. He carefully picked up the rabbit cage and, once vacated, he threw himself into the elevator and immediately jammed his finger on the close door button.  
  
Just as the doors began to shut, he heard Noiz ask, in a voice rich with amusement, “Was that your first kiss?"  
  
"No!" Aoba yelled, and it was the last thing either of them said before the doors blocked the other from view. Left to his own thoughts, Aoba’s annoyance faded until all that remained was pure embarrassment. He glanced down at the small animal trapped between his arms, who stared back at him through the bars of the cage.  
  
"Is it a cultural difference?" Aoba asked. “Do friends kiss each other in Germany?"  
  
Predictably, the rabbit offered no response. Aoba rested the back of his head against the wall of the elevator. The worst part was, if he were completely honest with himself, he had actually _enjoyed_ it.


	6. Toue University: Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koujaku convinces Clear and Aoba to attend a Halloween party on campus—in costume. Clear and Aoba get drunked-y drunk, and after the party, Noiz and Aoba become a little closer.

The rabbit, which Aoba had uncreatively nicknamed ‘Usa-chan,’ garnered the expected reactions from Clear and Mizuki.  
  
"Can we get a jellyfish next?" Clear begged with wide eyes after dropping a baby carrot into Usa-chan’s cage. Mizuki just shook his head and said, “Don’t get caught. And for god’s sake, don’t add any more animals to your collection!"  
  
When he next saw Noiz, neither of them brought up the kiss. Chalking it up as simply another demonstration of Noiz’s eccentricity, Aoba banished the memory to the recesses of his mind.  
  
At first, Aoba assumed that Noiz had bought his rabbit on impulse, the mere whim of someone with too much money to spend. But with each passing day, it grew increasingly obvious that Noiz felt genuinely attached to the creature, like a mother to its child. Noiz visited their room every single day throughout Usa-chan’s stay. Sometimes Aoba and Clear allowed Noiz to hang around their room while they went to class, only to return hours later to find him still there. After a while, Aoba began to wonder if Noiz was spending more time in their room than in his own. One day, Aoba brought up that very topic while speaking with Koujaku, and to Aoba’s immense confusion, the two of them got into an almost-argument over how Aoba was too nice to people, how Noiz was just using him, how Aoba would regret it if he put too much trust in “a guy like that." Aoba found the mutual animosity between the two men baffling. Why did they hate each other so much?  
  
The weeks flew by and the days grew colder, and after a little over a month, Noiz successfully arranged for an international animal transportation service to personally deliver the rabbit from Aoba’s room to Noiz’s home in Germany. When Aoba asked Noiz who was to care for the rabbit in his absence, Noiz easily answered that his family had servants who could do that kind of work… which begged the question, exactly how rich was Noiz?  
  
Once Usa-chan had safely left campus, lacking an excuse to, Noiz stopped visiting their room altogether. Though Aoba initially found his daily visits to be something of a nuisance and a major distraction, his presence in their room had eventually become a part of Clear and Aoba’s daily routine. Deprived of that routine, Aoba distinctly felt that something was now missing from his life. He still saw Noiz on occasion, particularly when visiting Koujaku’s room, but somehow, it no longer felt enough. Still, the days trudged onwards, and soon Aoba grew accustomed even to Noiz’s absence.  
  
—————  
  
"Halloween?" Clear tilted his head to the side. “Isn’t that an American holiday?"  
  
"Yeah," Koujaku chimed in excitedly, “The people living in the International House this year are like 50% Americans, so they’ve decided to host a Halloween party this Friday. We should definitely go!"  
  
Aoba used his chopsticks to poke at his leftovers as he silently listened to the conversation. He hadn’t attended any other parties since the one at the Flaming Willow on his first day on campus. To be honest, he wasn’t very excited at the prospect of forcing himself to go to another one. But Koujaku and him hadn’t really hung out much recently either. Reluctantly, Aoba replied, “I guess there’s no harm in going for a little while."  
  
"Aren’t you supposed to wear costumes on Halloween?" Clear asked.  
  
"Yeah," Koujaku answered, “There’s a clothing store on campus that’s selling some costumes just for this occasion. I can text you guys the address, if you want."  
  
Clear’s eyes lit up. “Aoba-san, the two of us should look for a costume together!"  
  
Aoba smiled and nodded, hoping some of Clear’s enthusiasm would rub off on him some time before Friday.  
  
—————  
  
They had been so busy that week that they only had the opportunity to shop for costumes the afternoon before the party.  
  
"I guess pretty much anything would do," Aoba mumbled to himself as the two of them walked into the store. They found a small section for costumes in the back corner. Clear skipped through the aisles, merrily adding costume after costume onto the growing pile of clothing slung over his arm. He then disappeared into the dressing rooms for half an hour then re-emerged wearing a white lab coat, surgical gloves, and a gas mask.  
  
"The label on the costume says ‘Mad Scientist,’" Clear explained, his voice muffled behind the mask, “I like this one a lot! Don’t I look ~spooky~ in this mask?"  
  
Aoba was incapable of finding Clear scary no matter what he wore, but Aoba indulged him and nodded. Taking the mask off, he fixed Aoba with a look of slight concern. “You haven’t picked anything yet?"  
  
Aoba sighed. “The ones I’ve seen are either too expensive or just not for me."  
  
Frowning, Clear scanned through the aisles, determined to find something suitable for his roommate. His eyes landed on an item further down the aisle. He pulled it off the rack and turned towards Aoba, presenting it to him.  
  
"Aoba-san, look! This one is really cute! And it looks like it would fit you perfectly."  
  
Aoba stared at the costume in Clear’s hand, utterly horrified. “What?? Clear, I couldn’t possibly wear that!"  
  
"Why not, Aoba-san? I think it would look really good on you!"  
  
Aoba blushed. “It’s not a matter of whether it would look good or not! Something like that is way too embarrassing for a guy to wear!"  
  
"Please, Aoba-san!" Clear pleaded, a pout on his lips. “It would look so cute on you!"  
  
Aoba crossed his arms and tried to look intimidating. “No, Clear! I’m not buying that costume!"  
  
—————  
  
Aoba buried his face in his hands as Clear knocked on Koujaku’s door. “I can’t believe I’m actually wearing this!"  
  
Aoba could not actually see Clear’s face behind the mask, though he imagined he was smiling. “Don’t worry, Aoba-san! I’m sure everyone will love your costume just as much as I do!"  
  
 _I sincerely doubt that_ , Aoba thought just as the door swung open.  
  
"Hey guys, you arrived right o-" Koujaku halted his words as he got a proper look at Aoba. Aoba squirmed as Koujaku’s eyes slowly traveled down his body—he swore he could almost feel the path of Koujaku’s stare. Aoba was wearing a black long-sleeved, full-body cotton unitard, complete with a furry tail protruding from the back. On the top of his head sat a pair of black cat ears.  
  
Koujaku continued to look him up and down, and Aoba crossed his arms, blushing furiously. “Clear insisted that I buy this costume, okay." Narrowing his eyes, he warned, “Don’t laugh at me."  
  
Koujaku blinked at him several times and stuttered a bit before finally managing to say, “No, I… I wasn’t going to laugh at you." He turned to the side, cheeks turning slightly pink. “You look good."  
  
Aoba’s brows lifted in surprise. He sounded sincere. Clear gently elbowed him on the side. “See? I told you other people would like it too!" he cheerfully gloated.  
  
Now that some of his anxiety had faded, he finally noticed Koujaku’s costume. He was wearing a beautiful red yukata with a plastic, but authentic-looking samurai sword strapped to his obi. He had even used cosmetics to add fake sword scars along his arms. Koujaku stepped aside and let the two of them into the room. Aoba noted, with not a small measure of disappointment, that Noiz and Mink were nowhere to be seen.  
  
Koujaku opened the mini-fridge at the foot of his bed, handing them a couple of glass bottles from within. “An upperclassmen friend of mine got me these. I also have a bottle of cinnamon schnapps, if you want some of that."  
  
Aoba accepted the cooler gratefully. Despite the positive reaction he received from Koujaku, he was still in no way ready to face the public wearing the… thing that he was wearing. Aoba had already decided the moment he walked out of the store, cat costume in tow: if he was going to this party, he sure as hell wasn’t going sober.  
  
—————  
  
Aoba bumped into Clear for the tenth time in the past two minutes. “Oopss, sorry!" Aoba apologized, slurring his words slightly.  
  
"Aoba-san, you’re wobbly!" Clear exclaimed and the both of them erupted into a fit of giggles.  
  
The three of them were slowly making their way to the party. Koujaku lagged a few paces behind and kept watch over them, looking totally unimpressed. “If I had known you two were such lightweights, I would’ve never given you guys so much to drink."  
  
Aoba targeted him with a mock glare. “Don’t be such a party pooper!" He tried to whip Koujaku with his tail, but he effortlessly dodged the attack. Clear swayed to and fro, bent over with laughter. He almost ran headfirst into a tree, which only made him laugh harder. This was Aoba’s first time seeing Clear in any kind of intoxicated state. From what he’d observed thus far, drunk Clear was basically the same as regular Clear, except he found absolutely everything hilarious.  
  
Despite the occasional distraction, Koujaku successfully managed to herd the both of them to the International House. The place was already overflowing with people once they arrived. Aoba’s outfit did attract the occasional odd stare, but to his relief, most of the people were too wasted to even notice.  
  
Stepping onto the packed dance floor, Koujaku was almost immediately accosted by two different groups of people, one all male and the other all female. It took Koujaku a few minutes just to introduce everyone to one another. Aoba had never felt comfortable socializing in very large groups; when the first opportunity presented itself, he announced that he was heading off to find food, or at least what remained of it, then grabbed Clear’s arm and sneaked away.  
  
To Aoba’s surprise, there was still a considerable spread of snacks available in the kitchen. He and Clear greedily picked food straight off of the serving trays. “Aoba-san, look!" Clear pointed towards a tray at the end of the table. “Those cookies are shaped like pumpkins!" Aoba looked in the direction Clear had indicated. The cookies were indeed shaped like pumpkins.  
  
On a drunken impulse, Aoba grabbed the tray of pumpkin cookies and ran out of the kitchen with them. Clear gasped scandalously, which then morphed into laughter as Clear followed Aoba out of the kitchen. They found a relatively secluded corner of the house and split the cookies between the two of them. They finished off the tray within minutes, despite Clear’s constant complaints that the cookies didn’t taste like pumpkins at all.  
  
Once they devoured the cookies, they returned the empty tray to the kitchen and decided to try to find Koujaku again. The two of them pushed their way through the crowded dance floor for several minutes before Aoba finally caught a flash of red from the corner of his eyes. He was about to call out to his friend, but stopped himself once he noticed who Koujaku was with. His companion was the red-haired girl whom Aoba had met at Flaming Willow. They were speaking with their faces mere inches apart and both had their arms casually hooked around the other’s waist. Aoba diverted his gaze. Even through his drunken haze, he sensed that it was not a scene meant for his eyes.  
  
He tugged Clear’s arm and led him away. Leaning in so his roommate could hear him over the music, Aoba yelled, “We should leave him alone for now."  
  
Clear nodded. “He does look rather preoccupied."  
  
The two of them burst into a fit of laughter once again. They wandered aimlessly through the rooms of the very large house and eventually came upon a particularly crowded room on the second floor. Once they had managed to squeeze their way in, the two of them spotted a very familiar pair of girls handing out shot-sized glasses of a suspicious-looking red liquid—while dressed in rather revealing maid outfits, no less. Catching sight of Aoba and Clear, Virus smiled and motioned for the crowd to make a path for them.  
  
Aoba approached the table, eyeing the red liquid warily. “What _is_ that stuff?"  
  
"It’s a special cocktail that Trip and I like to call Vampire Venom. Fits the holiday, doesn’t it? Since you two are friends, this one’s on the house." She handed each of them their own shot. Giving Aoba the once-over, she added, “Nice costume by the way."  
  
Ignoring the compliment, Aoba raised the glass to his nose and took a whiff of its contents. He immediately pulled back, his senses instantly overpowered by the offensive, toxic scent. “What the hell did you put in this?"  
  
Virus put her forefinger to her lips and winked. “That’s for us to know and you to find out." She then turned her attentions to her other patrons, leaving Aoba and Clear to puzzle over the mystery cocktail on their own.  
  
"We did already drink a lot earlier," Clear said, thinking aloud, “But we ate those cookies, so maybe it will balance out?"  
  
"Well, it’s just one shot. How bad could it be?"  
  
Deciding to just go for it, Clear and Aoba clinked their small glasses in cheers and downed their shots to the last drop.  
  
When Aoba would later try to recall the events of the night, he would find that the only hole in his memory was what, exactly, happened to him after taking that shot. His last vivid memory was of telling Clear that the alcohol had felt like acid in his throat and that he definitely wasn’t going to drink that stuff ever again.  
  
Then, like a badly-spliced movie reel, there was a sudden jump in his memories, and the next thing he knew, he was in an unfamiliar part of the house. Clear and Koujaku were nowhere in sight. He stumbled around for a few minutes, clumsily pushing past people while trying to find the exit. Failing at this attempt, he grabbed his phone from his pocket, tapping the buttons haphazardly.  
  
 **To: Clear**

_Message_  
QWheer are yoiu  
  
A minute later, he received a reply.  
  
 **From: Clear**  
  
 _Message_  
I dont now help im confusedf  
  
Resolving to find his lost roommate, Aoba braved the crowds once more. Woozier than ever, he tripped on a particularly dramatic wobble and crashed into the person beside him. He turned to apologize, but gawked at the person instead—if it was even a person at all. A giant rabbit head took up Aoba’s entire field of vision. Was it a hallucination? He rubbed his eyes, but the rabbit remained.  
  
Then the rabbit called out in a familiar voice, “Aoba?"  
  
"…Noiz?"  
  
The rabbit took off his head, revealing the human hidden underneath. “What _are_ you wearing?" Noiz asked, scrutinizing his costume with great interest.  
  
"What are _you_ wearing?" Aoba retaliated, still staring at the bunny head now bundled underneath the other man’s arm.  
  
"I’m a rabbit. Isn’t it obvious?"  
  
Unable to control his swaying, Aoba leaned his head against Noiz’s chest. “I don’t feel so good."  
  
"Did you drink too much?" Noiz loosely wrapped his free arm around Aoba’s shoulders. Aoba leaned into the embrace, enjoying the pleasant warmth of the other man’s body.  
  
"I thought that I didn’t, but I guess I did. I feel all woozy."  
  
"Do you want to go back to the dorm?"  
  
Aoba shook his head. “I have to find Clear. He’s lost in this house somewhere…"  
  
Thinking for a minute, Noiz asked, “What costume is he wearing?"  
  
"A lab coat… and a gas mask."  
  
"If he’s the guy I’m thinking of, then I saw him leave like fifteen minutes ago. Wherever he is, he’s definitely not in this house anymore."  
  
Aoba blanched. Stepping out of Noiz’s loose hug, he whipped out his phone, this time opting to call instead of text his roommate.  
  
"Aoba-san!" Clear said upon answering the phone call.  
  
"Clear! Are you okay? Where are you?"  
  
"Don’t worry, Aoba-san, I’m fine. I bumped into Mink-san a few minutes ago and he is helping me find my way."  
  
"You ran into Mink? And he’s… helping you?" Even after repeating the words, Aoba still had difficulty believing them.  
  
"Yup! Mink-san is very knowledgeable! We’re going to the grocery store right now so that I can buy water and snacks. How about you, Aoba-san? Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I’m fine. I’m with Noiz right now. He’s gonna help me go back."  
  
"That’s nice of him. We’re very lucky to have bumped into our friends."  
  
Aoba could just imagine the innocent smile on Clear’s face as he said those words. After making sure he was alright, the two of them said their goodbyes.  
  
Noiz put the rabbit head back on and led Aoba out of the house, using his arms to part the crowds. Once outside, Aoba took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the crisp autumn air. Still very much under the influence, Aoba stumbled violently while descending the front doorsteps. From behind him, Noiz grabbed hold of his shoulders, steadying him.  
  
"Be careful," Noiz said softly into his ear, and in his voice, Aoba could hear his smile.  
  
—————  
  
"Are you always this uncoordinated when you drink?" Noiz asked as he helped Aoba board the elevator. On their way over, Aoba had been staggering around the sidewalk so much that Noiz was forced to grab hold of one of Aoba’s arms and half-dragged him back to Glitter. In the back of his mind, Aoba was secretly aware that he had slightly exaggerated the extent of his drunkenness in order to monopolize Noiz’s attention. But for now, Aoba silenced his nagging conscience and rested his head on the other man’s shoulder as the elevator shook to life. They exited on the second floor, Noiz accompanying him on the short journey from the elevator to his door.  
  
"I assume you’ll be able to take care of yourself from here?"  
  
Aoba nodded. He reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve his keys, but froze when his hand brushed against the thin cotton material of his costume. It was then that Aoba belatedly realized that he hadn’t brought his coat with him. But if his coat was in his room… then where were his keys?  
  
Noiz noted his not-so-subtle change of expression. “What’s wrong?"  
  
"…I forgot my keys in my room."  
  
Noiz seemed unfazed by the news. He watched in silence as Aoba panicked.  
  
Aoba tried calling Clear, but his call went straight to voicemail. “Maybe his phone ran out of power?" Aoba muttered. With a frown, he looked to Noiz helplessly, who merely shrugged in response. Going over his options, Aoba concluded, “I guess I’ll just wait out here until Clear gets back."  
  
Noiz did not immediately leave him. After pausing to think, Noiz abruptly grabbed Aoba’s hand and tugged him back to the elevator.  
  
"E-eh? Where are we going?"  
  
"Clear will probably arrive at the same time Mink does. So you can just wait in my room."  
  
Accepting Noiz’s logic, Aoba allowed himself to be dragged back to the first floor. Once they entered the room, Noiz finally removed the rabbit head, dumping it unceremoniously onto the floor. Noiz flopped onto his bed and stretched, his tiredness revealing itself in a yawn. Then, with a smirk, Noiz scooted to the side, making a small space for Aoba near the center of the bed. “Feel free to sit."  
  
Sensing danger, Aoba instead sat on the very edge of the very foot of the bed. Noiz’s smirk only grew wider. “You can move closer, you know. I’m not going to attack you."  
  
With a looseness of tongue born of intoxication, Aoba let slip, “You might. You did that one time." Aoba gasped and reflexively clapped his hands over his mouth once he realized what he said. He thought he had buried that memory for good, only for it to resurface so easily.  
  
Noiz immediately understood what Aoba was referring to. “You mean when I kissed you?" he casually asked.  
  
Aoba fidgeted. If he were to be totally honest, that kiss had definitely confused him on a bunch of different levels. “Why _did_ you kiss me?" Aoba finally asked.  
  
"I just felt like it. And it did get a nice reaction out of you."  
  
Aoba glared, annoyed at the flippant response. “So it really didn’t mean anything? Do you ‘just feel like’ kissing your friends often?"  
  
Noiz sat up, staring Aoba straight in the eye. “No, I don’t. And it was too short for me to know whether it meant anything or not."  
  
The silent offer hung between them like an anchor, the tension robbing Aoba of his ability to look away. Noiz’s eyes bore into his, shining now with a carnivorous gleam. Aoba gulped. “Are you going to kiss me again?"  
  
Noiz reached out and brushed a stray hair from his face, his fingertips trailing down the curve of his cheek on its way down. Aoba leaned into the touch, despite himself. “If I do, will the little kitten run away?"  
  
Aoba blushed at the analogy, cursing his costume for the millionth time that night. Shyly breaking eye contact with Noiz, he looked down before shaking his head ‘no.’ Despite his acquiescence, Aoba refused to look at Noiz. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Noiz lean towards him. Using his hand to sweep the hair off his shoulder, Noiz gently kissed him just below the ear, then on the cheek, before finally capturing his lips. Noiz’s lips felt just soft as Aoba remembered.  
  
Just as Aoba considered deepening the kiss, Noiz suddenly hooked his arm around the back of Aoba’s neck and laid down flat on the bed, dragging Aoba down with him. Aoba gasped, startled by the sudden movement, and Noiz seized the opportunity to recapture his lips in an open-mouthed kiss. Noiz’s tongue plunged into him and shamelessly explored every inch of Aoba’s mouth. Aoba moaned as he felt something cold, smooth, and distinctly inorganic rub against the sensitive ridges at the roof of his mouth. Did Noiz have a piercing on his tongue?

The gentleness Noiz displayed just moments ago evaporated as Noiz continued to kiss him with bruising force. Noiz wrapped his arms around Aoba’s waist, hugging him to his chest and holding Aoba in place with a strength he had not known Noiz possessed.  
  
When they finally parted for air, the one kiss alone already had Aoba’s chest heaving. Even before fully regaining his breath, Aoba leaned down for another kiss, the second one just as intense as the first. Noiz’s searching hands eventually found the zipper hidden at the back of Aoba’s costume and unzipped it at a torturously slow pace, his free hand slipping underneath the opened fabric and stroking every new inch of freshly exposed skin. Noiz stopped the zipper at the base of Aoba’s back, then began to peel the fabric off of him. Aoba sat up, straddling Noiz by the hips, and surprised even himself as he shrugged out of his outfit, more than eager to help Noiz undress him. Once freed of the black cloth, Noiz’s eyes traveled up and down Aoba’s torso, greedily soaking in every millimeter of naked flesh. Aoba blushed, truly mortified that his body was being put under such scrutiny.  
  
Noiz grabbed him by the waist and flipped Aoba onto his back, reversing their positions. Aoba shuddered as Noiz hovered over him and fluttered tender kisses across his stomach. “Your skin is so soft," Noiz murmured, “Like a baby’s." His lips remained gently pressed against Aoba’s stomach, the heat of his breath warming him.  
  
Aoba blushed even harder. In an effort to hide his growing embarrassment, Aoba tugged at the hem of Noiz’s shirt and said, “Help me take this off, would you?"  
  
Noiz sat up and tore his shirt off in one fluid movement. Aoba’s eyes widened as he took in Noiz’s toned chest and the sculpted muscle of his arms. He briefly wondered how someone who spent so much time on the computer could possibly be so _fit_.  
  
Remembering the prop that somehow managed to stay stuck to his head, Aoba reached up to remove his cat ears, but stopped once Noiz grabbed him by the wrist. “Keep them on," Noiz ordered.  
  
"You’re… into this kind of stuff?" Aoba asked, tapping one of the cat ears with his finger.  
  
"On _you_ , yeah. You look cute."  
  
Aoba squirmed underneath him in protest, but Noiz laughed and kissed him before he could say anything in complaint. As Noiz deepened the kiss, Aoba felt the whole weight of the other man’s body press against him. In the back of his mind, beyond the fog of alcohol and lust, Aoba realized that, if they kept this up, the two of them would likely end up having sex. _Is that really what I want?_ Aoba wondered. But he pushed away all doubts as Noiz began to lick and suck on the rim of his earlobe, eliciting a loud moan.  
  
Copying the same move Noiz had used on him earlier, Aoba managed to wrestle Noiz into the bottom position. By this point, Aoba’s costume had fallen just low enough to reveal the curve of his ass. Noiz reached down and caressed the newly uncovered flesh, Aoba yelping in surprise when Noiz gently squeezed. Smirking, Noiz said, “Your skin is soft down here too."  
  
Aoba slapped his hand away and was on the verge of cussing him out, when his ears just barely caught the sound of a familiar voice approaching the room from outside. Aoba’s eyes went wide in alarm and he scrambled back into his clothing. “Koujaku’s coming back!"  
  
Noiz made no effort to hide his displeasure. “So what?"  
  
"What do you mean ‘so what’? Are you crazy?"  
  
With Noiz’s begrudging assistance, Aoba had barely managed to finish zipping up when the door swung open. Stepping into the room, Koujaku was at first preoccupied in conversing with his companion, but stopped mid-sentence once he caught sight of the room’s other two occupants. Aoba had been so distracted in getting himself clothed that he only just realized that he was still straddling Noiz. Flustered, Aoba jumped off of Noiz, then off the bed altogether. Aoba stared at his feet, frightened of seeing his friend’s reaction. In contrast, Noiz wore his disheveled appearance like a prize ribbon, not bothering to even put his shirt back on.  
  
Vaguely, Aoba noted that the girl standing behind Koujaku, staring at all of them in shock, was indeed the red-haired girl from earlier. It took Koujaku a while to find his voice. Turning to Aoba, he asked, “What the hell is going on here?"  
  
Before Aoba could gather the courage to respond, Noiz butted in. “What does it look like?"  
  
Noiz’s provocation made something inside Koujaku snap. Face twisting in anger, Koujaku strode towards the bed and grabbed Noiz’s arm with a grip hard enough to bruise. “What the hell did you do to Aoba?"  
  
Noiz used his other hand to grab Koujaku’s wrist with equal force. “Let go."  
  
Consumed with anger, Koujaku growled, “I had a feeling you would do something like this."

"Oh?" Noiz smiled dangerously.  
  
"You won’t be looking so smug in a second, you bastard. I’ll make sure you never take advantage of him again!"  
  
After hearing Koujaku’s accusation, Aoba knew he could no longer remain silent. “You’ve got it all wrong," he said, placing a gentle hand on Koujaku’s shoulder, “Noiz wasn’t taking advantage of me or forcing me or anything like that."  
  
Taken aback, Koujaku loosened his grip enough to allow Noiz to break free. He turned to Aoba, his face masked in disbelief. “You don’t have to defend this guy. I mean… you drank a lot earlier, so you’re probably just confused. It’s okay."  
  
Aoba frowned, not liking the implications behind Koujaku’s words. “I’m still pretty tipsy, yeah, but not enough that I’m not aware of what I’m doing."  
  
"You just think that you’re more sober than you actually are."

"I would know my condition better than you, Koujaku!"

Koujaku clasped Aoba by the shoulders, looking down at him with concern. “Aoba, just go back to your room, okay? Let me handle this."  
  
Annoyed at his patronizing remarks, Aoba snapped, “Koujaku, I’m not a baby anymore! I can take care of myself! And besides, I was the one who asked _him_ to kiss _me_!"  
  
"…What?" Koujaku just stared, mouth slightly agape.

Aoba took a deep breath. There was no turning back now. “I… I think I might like Noiz," he confessed. He risked a glance in Noiz’s direction, who was staring back at him with eyes that could scorch.  
  
For a few seconds, Koujaku’s mind was a total blank. Struggling to find something, anything to deny the reality before his eyes, Koujaku blurted out, “But you’re not gay."  
  
"How do you know that I’m not?"  
  
Koujaku opened his mouth to retort, but found that he couldn’t. Now that he thought about it, Aoba really hadn’t given off any signs that he was attracted to women. None at all. Why hadn’t he noticed that earlier?

"But… why Noiz?" Koujaku asked in a voice just above a whisper, almost posing the question more to himself than to Aoba.

To the surprise of all three men in the room, it was the one woman who ultimately ended the argument. “Koujaku, that’s enough!" she yelled and tugged at his arm with unexpected strength. “Quit it with your interrogation! None of this stuff is your business anyway!" With a disappointed frown, she asked, “Aren’t these people your friends? How can you be so mean to them?"  
  
Koujaku fell silent. Not wanting to be in the room for one second longer, Aoba threw one last look at Noiz, then made for the exit. On his way out, he paused to apologize to the girl. “Sorry for… all of this."  
  
She smiled at him, seeming genuinely sympathetic. “Don’t say sorry. It’s okay… really."  
  
He glanced at Koujaku, who refused to meet his eyes. More than anything, at that moment, Koujaku just looked confused.  
  
A few minutes later and Aoba was back to loitering in front of his locked door. He rested his forehead against it and closed his eyes. That definitely was _not_ how he had wanted things to go.


	7. Toue University: Three Man Tango

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba has heart-to-heart talks with both Sei and Clear, Koujaku picks a fight with Noiz, and Aoba and Noiz make their relationship official.

Aoba tiptoed out of his room, making sure not to wake his roommate nor the puppy still asleep under his bed. Aoba always had trouble sleeping soundly when he felt worried and the events of the previous night had given him plenty to worry over. After leaving Noiz and Koujaku’s room, it took another fifteen or so minutes for Clear to return. Though Clear could tell something was wrong, Aoba insisted that he would be okay and that what he wanted more than anything was just to sleep. But now that he had gotten his rest, and everyone else had yet to awaken from theirs, Aoba was left alone with his thoughts.  
  
Upon leaving the front doors of Glitter, he was immediately blasted by an onslaught of cold winds, signaling the sudden arrival of winter. He snuggled into his thin jacket, cursing himself for not having the foresight to wear more layers. Not wanting to be outside for more than a few minutes, he ducked into the nearby Student Activity Center, which at this early hour was almost entirely empty. As he wandered aimlessly through the halls, Aoba eventually stumbled upon an isolated study room with several comfy-looking couches and decided that the area appeared private enough to make his phone call.  
  
Prior to leaving his room, Aoba had sent a text to his brother asking if he was already awake, to which he received an affirmative response. Sei had always been the first person Aoba spoke to about any personal issues he was having, and despite the physical distance that now separated them, that aspect of their relationship had not changed in the slightest.  
  
After a few rings, a voice on the other end of the line answered, “Hello? Aoba?"  
  
"Hi Sei," Aoba replied, trying to sound cheerful. “Are you busy right now?"  
  
"Nope! I don’t have to go to the shop today until noon. What’s up?"  
  
Aoba hesitated. Now that the time had come to actually talk about it, he found himself at a loss of words.  
  
"…Is something wrong?"  
  
"No," Aoba lied, “It’s just been a while since my last call. I was starting to miss the sound of your voice, I guess."  
  
Aoba could almost feel his brother’s radiant smile through the phone. “Aoba, if you keep saying things like that, we’ll just miss each other more!" Sei chided in jest. “That said, I miss you too."  
  
Sei chatted to him about their grandma and Haga-san and the rambunctious kids who always dropped by the shop after school, Aoba chuckling and “mm-hmm"ing when appropriate. Feeling that their conversation was entirely too one-sided, Sei prodded Aoba for details on his own life at college. Aoba hesitated once more. He did want to talk to Sei about all the thoughts now crowding his mind: what had happened the previous night, his more-than-friendly feelings for Noiz, and how hurt he was by Koujaku’s seeming lack of acceptance—but part of him felt guilty about letting his personal problems dominate the conversation when him and his brother had so little time to speak with each other these days.  
  
"Aoba," Sei said, startling Aoba from his brooding, “There _is_ something wrong, isn’t there?"  
  
Aoba sighed. He knew it would be pointless to hide his true feelings. Sei always had the uncanny ability to read Aoba’s mood, even over the phone. Hesitantly, Aoba said, “Some… stuff happened last night. I’m sorry, Sei, I know I rely on you too much for this kind of-"  
  
"Aoba," Sei gently interrupted, “You know you can tell me anything. You’re my brother and I want you to be happy."  
  
Aoba eyes moistened in response to his brother’s kind words. He always knew exactly how to coax Aoba into opening up. “Yeah, I know. I love you, Sei." Fighting the tears away, Aoba took a deep breath and began. “So do you remember the guy I told you about before? The one with the rabbit…"  
  
—————  
  
Ren was awake by the time Aoba returned to his room. The puppy peeked out from beneath the bed, his fluffy tail wagging excitedly upon spotting his owner. Aoba stooped down to pick him up.  
  
"Good morning, Ren," Aoba greeted, nuzzling his nose against the puppy’s forehead. Ren licked his face in response.  
  
From behind him, Aoba heard his roommate stir in his bed. “Aoba-san?" Clear sat up, the mattress creaking underneath him from the shift in weight. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “You’re up really early."  
  
"Yeah. I had a phone call to make." Aoba sat down on his bed. Ren occupied Aoba’s lap and rolled onto his back, inviting Aoba to scratch his soft underbelly. Clear nodded sleepily and laid back down, seemingly intent on falling back to sleep.  
  
Aoba cleared his throat to reclaim his attention. “Clear? There’s something I need to tell you."  
  
Clear looked at him beneath drooping eyelids. “Yes, Aoba-san?"  
  
Aoba paused, hesitant in saying his next words. He could feel the frantic pounding of his own heartbeat. Clear had grown very dear to him over the past couple months, and they had become far closer than Aoba would have thought possible in the short amount of time they had known each other. He thought that perhaps it was because of their closeness that he dreaded having this conversation.  
  
"Actually, this is something I’ve been meaning to say for a while now. I wanted to wait for the right time, but I don’t think this is something I can keep to myself anymore."  
  
Aoba paused to gauge his roommate’s reaction. Sensing the gravity of the topic they were about to discuss, Clear stood up from his bed and sat adjacent to Aoba. Clear nodded for him to continue.  
  
"Basically…" Aoba took in a shaky breath, “I’m attracted to men."  
  
Clear stared at him blankly, the lack of a reaction only exacerbating Aoba’s fears. Finally, he asked, “Like in a lovey-lovey way?"  
  
Aoba blushed at his childish wording. “Yes. In a lovey-lovey way."  
  
It took a few seconds for Clear to digest that information. After the brief pause, Clear nodded to show his understanding, his face immediately taking on a brighter countenance. “Is there any person in particular whom you like?"  
  
Reluctantly, Aoba admitted, “I guess I kind of like Noiz."  
  
"I see! So Noiz-san is Aoba-san’s type."  
  
"Well, I wouldn’t say he’s my ‘type’ exactly. To be honest, I always thought I would go for someone a little more polite. I guess I could see why other people might think it’s weird…" In retrospect, Aoba realized that Koujaku’s disbelief was somewhat justifiable.  
  
But Clear shook his head, a sweet, ever-present smile gracing his lips. “It’s not weird! I don’t know Noiz-san very well, but he seems like a good person. And I’ve noticed that he is always especially nice to Aoba-san and that Aoba-san is very happy whenever he is near. And seeing Aoba-san happy makes me happy too."  
  
Aoba’s cheeks positively glowed with embarrassment. Clear’s straightforward understanding of the situation only made him feel even meeker.  
  
Though Aoba was relieved that Clear had accepted his confession so easily, his optimism still felt crippled by lingering doubt. “So you’re really okay with all this?" Aoba asked. “None of this… bothers you at all?"  
  
Clear seemed puzzled by the question. “Why would I be bothered? I’m very happy that Aoba-san shared his feelings with me."  
  
Aoba felt the knots of tension in his chest begin to slowly unravel. He let out a relieved sigh. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. Honestly, I was scared that you would start treating me differently."  
  
"Why? Aoba-san is Aoba-san. Liking Noiz-san doesn’t make you any different, right?"  
  
Aoba smiled and nodded. Clear’s simple, honest words enveloped him in a pleasant warmth, and for the first time that morning, Aoba thought that maybe everything would work out after all.  
  
—————  
  
Noiz scowled as he endured yet another round of insults, trying—and deliberately failing—to contain his simmering rage. Deep down, he knew he had been raring for a fight all day, but Mink’s presence in the room earlier that morning had been enough to momentarily douse his anger. But now that Mink had finally stepped out, Noiz at last felt free to lash out at his other roommate, who seemed almost as eager for their inevitable confrontation as Noiz himself.  
  
"I don’t get it. What could Aoba possibly see in a cocky, rude, antisocial punk like you?" Koujaku was glaring at him so hard that it was a wonder his eyes hadn’t burned a hole straight through him.  
  
Noiz countered Koujaku’s taunt with one of his own. “Why don’t you go ask him right now if you’re so curious? Better yet, why not ask him the question you’re really wondering." Noiz watched with satisfaction as Koujaku’s expression changed dramatically. He savored the tension for a moment longer before finally asking, “You want to know why he likes _me_ instead of _you_ , right?"  
  
For a split second, Koujaku looked visibly shaken by the words. But he was quick to mask his vulnerability behind feigned indifference. “You have no idea what you’re talking about."  
  
Noiz let out a low, derisive laugh. “You can’t even admit it to yourself. No wonder Aoba didn’t choose you. Don’t blame me for your own incompetence."  
  
Knowing he had won the argument, Noiz grabbed his phone from his pocket with a smug smirk. Now that some of his anger had subsided, Noiz decided not to waste any more time on Koujaku and to instead devote his full attention towards officially making Aoba his.  
  
But Noiz’s scathing words made something in Koujaku snap. As though given new life through the sheer force of his own wounded pride, Koujaku stormed over to Noiz’s corner of the room and dragged him off his bed by the collar of his shirt. Eyes burning, Koujaku spat, “You don’t deserve him."  
  
"Says who? You?" Noiz wrenched himself out of Koujaku’s grip. “Your opinion doesn’t matter. Do us all a favor and stay out of our way."  
  
Noiz tried to walk past the other man and out the door, but stopped once he felt a strong hand clutch him by the shoulder. Noiz narrowed his eyes in warning. “Let go."  
  
Koujaku returned the look. “Make me."  
  
Having finally reached his breaking point, Noiz decided that he would.  
  
—————  
  
Mink reached into his pocket and fished for his keys. His finger latched onto the keyring and just as he was about to unlock the door, he faintly heard someone from within yell out a curse. Eyebrow raised, Mink turned the key, then the door knob.  
  
He opened the door just in time to see Koujaku sock Noiz hard in the face. The two of them were on the ground, Koujaku sitting on Noiz and pinning him to the floor. Mink noted that Noiz’s cheek was already starting to bruise. Noiz angled his body and managed to knee the other man in the ribs. The attack made Koujaku wince, but he otherwise didn’t budge an inch.  
  
"What are you two doing?" Mink asked, his voice a low rumble. The both of them froze. They turned to look at him with expressions of blank shock.

Noiz was the first to recover, and he took advantage of the distraction to finally wrestle himself out from under Koujaku. Koujaku crouched in a defensive posture, expecting retaliation. Instead, Noiz muttered something under his breath, then stood up and stalked out of the room without so much as a second glance at either of them, roughly nudging past Mink on his way out.  
  
Deprived of an opponent, Koujaku picked himself off the ground and shuffled back to his corner of the room, looking mussed but otherwise unscathed. Despite his display of aggression, to Mink he seemed no less angry now than he had all morning.  
  
Mink closed the door, then leaned against it in silence. He sent Koujaku a judgmental look, which he returned with a glare.  
  
"Got something to say?" Koujaku snapped.  
  
Mink said nothing. He let his gaze linger for a moment longer before finally moving towards his desk. Over the past couple months, the cause of his roommates’ antipathy had become increasingly obvious even to a casual observer such as Mink. The only person who seemed unaware of the situation was the boy at the center of their feud.  
  
Though he was initially content with letting Koujaku sulk on his bed in silence, with a curt sigh, Mink finally spoke up.  
  
"Go talk to him."  
  
Koujaku met his gaze. He seemed to know exactly whom Mink was referring to. “This is none of your business."  
  
With a hardness in his eyes, Mink replied, “Fine. Sit there and impotently lash out at everyone instead." Koujaku let out a low growl. With a smirk, Mink then added, “Or you can make peace with yourself. Either way, you two better not bother me any more than you already have."  
  
Deciding that that was all he had to say on the matter, Mink picked up a book from his desk and preoccupied himself with his readings. He didn’t look up, not even when he heard Koujaku get off his bed and leave the room.

—————

Clear happily skipped down the sidewalk, swinging his grocery bags to and fro. Normally he did the grocery shopping together with his dear Aoba-san, but said roomie was currently taking a nap. Earlier Clear had been practicing singing his favorite choir song, a lovely ballad that, to Clear’s delight, had been dubbed the Jellyfish Song, and before he knew it, he had accidentally lullabied his roommate to sleep.  
  
Nearing the dorm, Clear saw a flash of blue and green pass by the corner of his eye. Turning to look at it, Clear’s mouth widened into a friendly smile upon seeing the familiar face. “Hello Noiz-san! Where are you heading to in such a hurry?"  
  
Noiz stopped in his tracks, seemingly startled from his thoughts. He glanced up at Clear and then scanned their immediate area, as though only noticing his surroundings just then. Finally, Noiz responded, “I wasn’t really going anywhere in particular. I just needed to leave my room for a while."  
  
Noiz fully turned towards him and Clear gasped once he caught sight of the faint purplish splotch on his opposite cheek. “Noiz-san! What happened to your face??"  
  
Noiz looked at him, confused. “My face?"  
  
"Your cheek is turning purple!"  
  
"Ah, that." Noiz reached up and gingerly brushed his fingertips across the darkening bruise, wincing as he did. “It doesn’t feel as bad as it probably looks."  
  
"How did you get that way? Did someone attack you?"  
  
Noiz smiled, though to Clear he looked more angry than happy. “You could say that."  
  
Clear stepped closer to get a better view of the wound, his eyes clouded with worry. “Do you want to go to the health clinic? It’s just a five-minute walk away."  
  
Noiz took a small step backwards. “Don’t bother. I’m fine." Noiz began to walk away from him.  
  
Just then, a question popped into Clear’s mind. His curiosity getting the better of him, Clear politely asked, “Noiz-san, is it okay if I ask you something?"  
  
Noiz looked at him warily. Nevertheless, he replied, “What is it?"  
  
"If you don’t mind my asking, what do you think of Aoba-san?"  
  
"Aoba?"  
  
The concept of subtlety largely lost on Clear, he bluntly and excitedly asked, “Do you like Aoba-san? Do you feel happy when you’re with him?"  
  
"Why are you asking this?"  
  
"Because I know that Aoba-san likes Noiz-san very much! But I don’t know if Noiz-san likes him back." With big, hopeful eyes, Clear asked, “Do you?"  
  
Noiz looked down at the ground. His eyes softened as he considered the question. Hesitantly, he answered, “Aoba… confuses me."  
  
"He confuses you?"  
  
Noiz nodded. “I didn’t think people like him existed. He contradicts a lot of what I’ve been taught. And he often does and says things that don’t make sense to me."  
  
Frowning, Clear asked, “Does that mean you don’t like Aoba-san?"  
  
"The exact opposite." Noiz’s lips turned upwards in a small smile. “I’m… glad, I suppose. I’ve had a pretty messed up life so far. But if this world is capable of producing someone like Aoba, then maybe it’s not so bad after all."  
  
Clear fell silent for a few moments. Then, like a beam of sunlight bursting through the clouds, his face erupted into a happy grin. “Thank you, Noiz-san, that was very informative! And Aoba-san will be so happy to hear that! We should go tell him right now!"  
  
With a hop in his step, Clear resumed walking towards Glitter. He stopped when he noticed that the other man wasn’t following him. “Noiz-san? Is something wrong?"  
  
"I can’t talk to Aoba yet."  
  
"Eh?? Why not?"  
  
Noiz broke eye contact, seemingly embarrassed about something. “I just feel like I should do something for him first. So that it will be special."  
  
Clear gasped. He leaned towards him in a conspiratorial manner, then asked in a hushed voice, “What are you planning, Noiz-san?"  
  
"I wanted to buy a gift of some kind. I’m not sure what though."  
  
Looking even more excited than ever, Clear moved all his grocery bags to one hand, then abruptly grabbed Noiz’s arm and dragged him further away from Glitter. “Don’t worry, Noiz-san! I’ll help you! If the two of us work together, we’ll definitely find something that Aoba-san will love!"  
  
—————  
  
Blearily, Aoba rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he got up from his bed, leaving Ren asleep near his pillow. He dragged himself to the door and went to greet whoever it was who had been knocking so persistently. All remaining traces of tiredness vanished once he opened the door.  
  
Koujaku looked down at the floor, unable to meet him in the eye. “Uhh. Hi."  
  
Aoba weakly mumbled hi in response, his heart pounding. Koujaku was the last person he wanted to see at the moment. He hadn’t prepared himself yet, hadn’t strengthened his mental defenses so that he could withstand vitriol or rejection or whatever it was that Koujaku had come here to say.  
  
Koujaku fidgeted, ignorant of Aoba’s inner turmoil. “Do you… do you mind if I come in?"  
  
Though reluctant, Aoba did step aside to make space for him. Koujaku shuffled in, then awkwardly stood in the center of the room. He cleared his throat. “So I thought about what happened last night… and I have something I need to say to you."  
  
Aoba sat on his bed, careful not to disturb the puppy sleeping atop it. He tucked his hands under his thighs and steeled himself for whatever came next. To his surprise, Koujaku bowed his head.  
  
"I’m sorry for everything I said last night. I jumped to conclusions and said a bunch of things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry."  
  
Aoba stared, slack-jawed. Stuttering, he said, “I-It’s fine! I understand. You don’t have to bow like that."  
  
"It’s not fine." Koujaku lifted his head. He still refused to look him in the eye. “I wasn’t listening to you at all. At the time, I convinced myself that I was protecting you, but I was really just being selfish. And besides… who you choose to date really isn’t my business." The words seemed almost painful for him to say. Koujaku finally dared to glance up at him, only for his eyes to fall back down. Softly, he asked, “You really like Noiz, don’t you?"  
  
Aoba shyly nodded. Something akin to sadness flickered across Koujaku’s expression, though it was too fleeting for Aoba to tell.  
  
With a resigned sigh, Koujaku said, “Even though I still can’t get along with him, if Noiz is the person you like, then… I should respect that."  
  
Aoba was quiet. When Koujaku gathered enough courage to look up at him again, he saw that his expression was not an unhappy one.  
  
"So you’re really okay with me being… you know?"  
  
Koujaku stared blankly, until the meaning of Aoba’s question finally clicked. He shook his head emphatically. “That doesn’t bother me at all! I was just really surprised last night because I always sort of assumed that you were straight. But I swear it doesn’t bother me! Really."  
  
For a long moment, Aoba simply sat and smiled fondly at his friend, who was growing increasingly flustered by the attention. Finally, Aoba said, “Thank you, Koujaku."  
  
"For what?" he asked, a faint blush coloring his cheeks.  
  
"For being such a good friend to me, even after all those years apart. To be honest, after last night, I was scared that you would stop talking to me or that you wouldn’t want to be friends anymore."  
  
For a brief moment, a look of immense guilt flickered across Koujaku’s face. Then, with a more determined expression, he leaned down to wrap his arms around Aoba’s shoulders in a gentle embrace. “I promise that will never happen. You’ll always be someone very important to me. Don’t ever doubt that, okay?"  
  
When they parted, the two of them wore matching smiles. Though Koujaku loathed to risk spoiling the mood, a certain question resurfaced in his mind and begged to be addressed. “Aoba?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Sorry to ask, but I honestly don’t understand. Of all people, why Noiz? There are a ton of other… well, _friendlier_ guys around."  
  
Koujaku prayed that he hadn’t offended the other man. To his relief, Aoba laughed. “Actually, I’ve been asking myself that as well! I mean, it’s true that he’s often rude and abrasive, and he doesn’t get along with a lot of people. But there are times when he really surprises me. He can be very considerate, warm, and even sweet, though he doesn’t show it as often. I don’t know what happened to make him so unfriendly to most people, but I do think he’s a good person underneath it all." He glanced up at Koujaku and added, “Though I’m guessing you have a completely different opinion."  
  
Koujaku sighed. “I don’t know. At the very least, he definitely seems way nicer to you than he is to me." His expression darkened as he went on to say, “But if he does ever hurt you, or if he cheats on you, or if he treats you badly in any way, then just tell me and I’ll-"  
  
Aoba chuckled. “Yes yes, I’ll call on you to beat up the bad guy. You’re not my childhood hero for nothing, huh?"  
  
"I’m just doing what anyone else would do," he mumbled, diverting his gaze in embarrassment.  
  
Before Aoba had the chance to politely disagree, he was interrupted by the sound of the door being unlocked from the outside. “Ah, that must be Clear."  
  
The door opened part-way and his roommate’s head popped in from between the gap. Aoba noted that he looked even more jolly than usual. Catching sight of their guest, Clear waved to him in greeting. “Oh, hello Koujaku-san! What a coincidence! If we invite Mink-san, then the whole gang will be here!"  
  
Aoba visibly tensed. His fears were confirmed when he spotted Noiz trailing behind Clear, eyes pinned to Koujaku like a sniper to its target. Recognizing the hostility in Noiz’s gaze, Aoba opened his mouth, intent on defending Koujaku. But his words turned into a gasp once he got a good look at Noiz.  
  
"What happened to your face??"  
  
Noiz’s glare at Koujaku only increased in intensity. Clear, oblivious to the mounting tension in the room, said, “Someone attacked him! And it looks like it hurt a lot, too."  
  
Koujaku stood rooted in place, seemingly frozen by guilt. Aoba noticed his unusual silence. Coupled with Noiz’s accusatory stare, and it was obvious even to Aoba who Noiz’s attacker had been. Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to feel angry. More than anything, all Aoba wanted right now was for everyone to get along.  
  
Aoba jumped off his bed. After flashing Koujaku a reassuring smile, he walked up to Noiz and reached up to gently caress his injured cheek. Noiz blinked in surprise and redirected his eyes towards him, instantly blind to all other people in the room. Aoba leaned in and inspected the bruise from up close.  
  
"Does it hurt?" Aoba asked, his voice barely over a whisper.  
  
Noiz shook his head. “It’s not that bad."  
  
"Good." Then, with a playful smirk, Aoba said, “Well, I doubt you’re entirely blameless anyway. Though I don’t condone violence, knowing you, I’m sure you must’ve said something insulting. So you won’t be getting any pity from me." Aoba poked his tongue out in jest.  
  
As Noiz begun to protest, Koujaku chose that moment to make a quick exit. “Clear! Are those groceries for dinner?" he asked, trying to sound casual. Without waiting for an answer, he started to hustle Clear out of the room, pushing him by the shoulders. “Let’s take those bags to the kitchen."  
  
"Eh? What about Aoba-san and Noiz-san?" Clear glanced at them from over his shoulder.  
  
Lowering his voice so that it was only audible to Clear, Koujaku whispered, “They could do with some privacy."  
  
"Ohh, I see," Clear whispered back. In a louder voice, he announced, “Koujaku-san and I will go on ahead. Dinner should be ready in an hour. I’m making beef curry!" With that enthusiastic pronouncement, Koujaku and Clear excused themselves from the room.  
  
Now that it was just the two of them, Aoba couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. He timidly glanced up at the other man, who stared back at him with a sullen expression.  
  
"Why was Koujaku here?"  
  
"He came to apologize for what happened last night. And though he didn’t say it, I’m pretty sure he’s also sorry for giving you this." Aoba once again reached up to stroke his wounded cheek. Noiz leaned into the touch.  
  
"He hates me, so I doubt it."  
  
"Even if he does, he’s promised to behave from here on out. So you have to behave too."  
  
"But _he_ started it," Noiz huffed. It sounded like a borderline whine.  
  
Aoba grinned. “Don’t be a brat!"  
  
Aoba withdrew his hand from the other man’s face, but Noiz caught it before he could fully draw back. Noiz smirked. “Well, at least Koujaku did do one thing right: he got you to confess your feelings for me. Now that I think about it, I should be thanking him."  
  
Aoba blushed, his bottom lip protruding in a pout. “If you’re going to tease me about it, then I change my mind about liking you."  
  
Noiz laughed. He brought Aoba’s hand to his lips and laid a gentle kiss upon the back of it. “Then I won’t tease you," Noiz murmured, his voice low and breathy. He tugged on Aoba’s hand to draw their bodies close, then wrapped his free arm around his waist.  
  
Aoba swallowed nervously. His heart was pounding so fast that he could feel its beats reverberate through his whole body. Shyly, Aoba asked, “Does this mean we’re dating now?"  
  
Noiz smiled. Deciding to respond with actions rather than words, Noiz leaned down and devoured his lips in a kiss so deep and so tender that Aoba seemed to melt in his arms. The both of them were panting once they finally parted for air. Noiz stared as Aoba licked his lips, the innocent gesture tempting Noiz to do not-so-innocent things.  
  
Aoba circled his arms around Noiz’s hips, and Noiz felt something in his coat pocket press into his side.  
  
"Wait," Noiz said, the sudden command startling Aoba. “I almost forgot. I have something for you." He reached into his pocket to retrieve the object hidden within.  
  
Aoba stared at his gift, confused. “You got me thread?"  
  
"It’s red string. Clear told me that it means something significant in this country." Aoba flushed in embarrassment as the meaning of Noiz’s gift dawned on him. Noiz unwound an arm’s length of thread from the spool and used his pocketknife to cut it. Taking Aoba’s hand in his, Noiz tied one end of the string to Aoba’s pinky, then the other end to his own.  
  
Noiz stared at their connected pinkies in silence, as though he anticipated something to happen. Aoba smiled. He really was like a kid.  
  
"Are we gonna walk around like this for the rest of the day?" Aoba teased.  
  
Noiz frowned. “You don’t like it?"  
  
"I _do_ like it. How could I not?" Aoba lifted himself up on his toes and pecked Noiz on the lips. With a mischievous smile, Aoba kissed him again, and this time, he made sure that Noiz could _feel_ just how much he appreciated his gift.


	8. Toue University: Winter Break (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s finals week at Toue University. Aoba goes on a study date with Noiz and comes up with an interesting idea while speaking to Sei.

Aoba huddled closer to the man beside him as a cold blast of wind swept through the path leading to Glitter. Winter at the university seemed considerably colder than winters back home, and despite weeks of on-and-off snowfall, Aoba still hadn’t adjusted to the worsening climate. He smiled as he felt Noiz wrap an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in closer to his chest.

The two of them had been dating for a little over a month. Though their schedules often clashed, they usually found some way to make time for one another. As the two of them became better acquainted, Aoba found that his feelings for Noiz only deepened with each passing day. Though they had only been together for a short time, Aoba already felt intimately acquainted with many of Noiz’s habits and endearing quirks. But at the same time, many aspects of Noiz’s life remained a mystery to him. Aoba was particularly curious about his family and home life, but Noiz always clammed up when they broached the subject.

Otherwise, their relationship had been surprisingly problem-free so far. Koujaku had even kept his promise to try to get along with Noiz, though so far the two of them could barely hold a conversation without throwing in the occasional passive-aggressive taunt. But, for now at least, the two maintained their truce.

Aoba sighed with relief once they finally entered the heated confines of their dorm building and immediately began shedding his layers. Noiz escorted him to the elevator and as they waited for it to arrive, he asked, “Do you want to meet up at the library again?"

Aoba nodded. The next day was the start of finals week and Aoba already had an exam in the afternoon and a 10-page paper due for another class. “I still have to write the last half of my essay, so I’ll probably be up for most of the night. I think Clear has an extra choir rehearsal tonight, so it’ll probably be just the two of us."

"So it’s a date then?" Noiz asked with a smirk.

Aoba let out an exaggerated sigh. “What a lousy date. It’s not going to be fun at all."

"We can go on a real date once exams are over. You’re staying on campus until Friday afternoon, right?"

Aoba nodded. He realized then that Noiz had yet to inform him of his own plans for the holidays. Tentatively, Aoba inquired, “Are you going home too?”

“I’m just flying back for the first week, then I’ll be on campus for the rest of break.”

“…Oh.”

The elevator announced its arrival. Hurriedly, Aoba asked, “So nine pm at the library atrium?”

“I might still be meeting with my study group at that time, so make it ten.”

Aoba’s ears perked up. “Study group?”

“Yeah. I’ve been meeting with them for the past few days now.”

“You have?!”

Noiz raised a brow at the candid look of shock on Aoba’s face. “Yeah. We all take a lot of the same classes, so it’s convenient to study together.”

“Really?” Still somewhat dazed from the revelation, Aoba thoughtlessly blurted, “I didn’t know you hung out with other people.”

Noiz’s lips curved in amusement. “You and Clear aren’t my only friends, you know.”

Aoba guiltily diverted his gaze. “I knew that,” he lied with a small pout.

Noiz chuckled and pecked him on the cheek. Then with a teasing smirk, he rested his hand on Aoba’s butt and nudged him into the open elevator. “See you at ten,” Noiz said as the doors closed.

Alone in the elevator, Aoba reached up to cover his cheeks with his palms. He wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to Noiz’s small gestures of affection, or at least become comfortable enough that he wouldn’t glow with embarrassment at his every touch.

When he arrived at his room, he noticed Clear sitting on the center of the floor, Ren resting in his lap. In front of him sat a small pile of sheet music haphazardly stacked together. Clear and Ren simultaneously glanced up at him in greeting. “Hello, Aoba-san!”

“Hello, Clear. Is that for your rehearsal tonight?”

“Yup! It’s the final rehearsal before the concert tomorrow. You’ll be able to go, won’t you?” Clear asked with big, pleading eyes.

Aoba nodded reassuringly. “I don’t have any exams scheduled then, so it should be fine.”

“Okay! Then I’ll make sure to sing extra well!”

Aoba patted Clear on the head as he made his way to his desk. Aoba began flipping through one of his textbooks, when Clear suddenly gasped, as though remembering something important. Craning his neck to face Aoba, he asked, “Are you seeing Noiz-san tonight?”

“Yeah, we’re meeting at the library in a few hours.”

Clear scrunched his eyebrows, seemingly in deep thought. With an uncharacteristic hesitance, he said, “You know, Aoba-san… if you ever want to use the room, you can just say so.”

Clear looked at him expectantly. Aoba blinked several times, startled by the sudden offer. “It’s okay. I think I prefer studying at the library anyway, since I get distracted here.”

“Oh. Okay.” Clear went back to studying his sheets.

Aoba tried to read his book, but the odd exchange lingered in his mind. Unable to ignore his niggling curiosity, Aoba asked, “Is there any particular reason you brought that up?”

Clear smiled, blushing slightly. “No, not really. It’s just that I was talking to Mink-san earlier today and he told me that I should be more considerate of Aoba-san and Noiz-san’s needs. So if you two ever want to use the room, please say so!” Clear’s face took on a more enthusiastic expression as he went on to say, “I also did some research on the Internet this afternoon and found out a lot of useful information that Aoba-san can use! Like this one website said that sex with a man is much more pleasurable if you rub your ******* while doing it, which I didn’t even know was possible! And there are a lot of different toys you can buy online, like **** ***** or ****** or even-”

“Clear, stop!” Aoba yelled, horrified at the words tumbling out of his roommate’s mouth. Did he even realize what he was saying??

Clear seemed taken aback by his sudden outburst. “Aoba-san, is something wrong?” Clear looked at him innocently, his expression a stark contrast to the R-rated language that was pouring out of him mere seconds ago.

Aoba fought down the urge to bury his face in his hands and somehow managed to respond, “I… appreciate the thought, but I doubt I’m going to need advice like that any time soon.”

Clear tilted his head in curiosity. “What do you mean?”

Aoba fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable. Finally, he admitted, “Noiz and I haven’t done anything like that yet.”

“Really?” Clear’s eyes went wide with shock. “Why not?”

“I don’t think there’s any particular reason for it,” Aoba mumbled. He knew Clear didn’t mean any harm, but he couldn’t help but feel a little agitated by the question. Aoba didn’t want to admit it, but the thought of losing his virginity made him nervous. Though his memory of Halloween was a little fuzzy now, one thing he did recall from that night was the obvious disparity between Noiz’s experience and his own. Though he felt silly for it, Aoba couldn’t help but worry that he himself might be terrible at sex. Aoba also debated whether he was really ready to take his relationship with Noiz a step further—but he then wondered if he was perhaps being too cautious.

Unaware of Aoba’s conflicted thoughts, Clear shamelessly said, “That’s really surprising! It always looks to me like Noiz-san can hardly keep his hands off Aoba-san, so I was sure you two had done all sorts of things by now!”

Aoba’s cheeks flushed. He recalled all the times that Noiz had derailed their study sessions into makeout sessions. There had even been a few times that he attempted to do so while Clear and Mink were present, though at the very least, Noiz had enough sense not to try anything whenever Koujaku was around. “Well, it’s true that Noiz is kind of a perverted brat, but it’s not like he can’t control himself. Besides, there’s no point in rushing things. Might as well take our time, right?”

“I guess that’s true,” Clear replied, “But when you and Noiz-san _are_ ready, I’ll be happy to share my research with you!”

Though Aoba doubted that he would ever volunteer to have that conversation with Clear, his sense of courtesy urged him to humor his roommate. “I know, Clear. Thank you for always being so considerate.”

“No need to thank me, Aoba-san!” Clear cheerfully replied before redirecting his energies towards the puppy whining for attention on his lap.

—————

Aoba yawned, his drooping eyelids feeling the full weight of his sleepiness. It was nearing 1AM and Aoba still had a couple more pages left to go on his essay. Since the library closed at midnight, he and Noiz had recently relocated to a small, empty study room in the Student Activity Center.

He heard Noiz shut off his laptop with a soft click. “Aoba.”

“Hmm?” Aoba asked, his eyes still fixed to his computer screen.

“I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up in half an hour.”

Aoba nodded absentmindedly, his mind singularly focused on finishing his paper. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Noiz lie down atop the couch adjacent to him, his body filling its length. Aside from the sound of Aoba’s keyboard strokes, the room was silent.

Several minutes later, Aoba abruptly heard Noiz mumble something to him.

“Huh?” Aoba asked, still not quite distracted enough to look away from his screen.

Noiz repeated his remark in a louder voice, but Aoba found that he still couldn’t understand. The words emanating from his mouth sounded completely foreign. Noiz mumbled once more and Aoba realized that it _was_ in fact a foreign language.

“Is that German?” Aoba finally turned to look at Noiz, who still appeared to be unconscious. Was he talking in his sleep?

Too intrigued to pass up the opportunity, Aoba got up from his seat and leaned over his unconscious boyfriend, his arms resting beside Noiz’s head on the arm of the couch.

“Noiz? Can you hear me?”

Noiz said something in response that Aoba assumed was an affirmative answer. It was Aoba’s first time hearing Noiz speak in his native tongue. In comparison to the softer syllables of the Japanese language, the sharp, harsh sounds of German made Noiz’s voice sound deeper and rougher. _Sexier_ , Aoba secretly thought. He continued to prod Noiz with questions, savoring the exotic sounds that fell from his mouth.

After a few minutes, Noiz stopped responding altogether. Aoba let out a disappointed sigh. Just when Aoba was sure that he had nothing more to say, Noiz suddenly began to chuckle.

Aoba drew back in surprise. “Eh?”

Noiz’s eyes were still closed, yet soft laughter spilled from his lips. Seeing Noiz laugh, seemingly for no reason, made Aoba want to laugh too. He reached down and ran his fingers through Noiz’s hair, causing him to reflexively nuzzle against his fingers. “You dork. Who laughs in their sleep?”

Once Noiz had settled down, Aoba lowered his lips and planted an upside-down kiss on his forehead before finally returning to his seat. When the designated time arrived, Aoba made sure to rouse Noiz from sleep. Noiz stood up and stretched to waken himself fully, then stared dejectedly at the pile of notes he had yet to review for his exam the next morning.

Deciding to tease him a bit, Aoba said, “You were talking in your sleep.”

“Really? Did I say anything interesting?”

“You were speaking German, so I couldn’t tell. But you did start laughing at one point.”

Noiz paused to consider the information. “Sounds creepy,” he concluded.

“It was actually kind of cute!”

In an effort to procrastinate a while longer, Noiz helped himself to one of Aoba’s sociology texts and leafed through the pages, scanning the text with mild disinterest. “How far are you on that paper?”

“I’m writing the last page now. I still have to study for my Micro Econ exam though. Otherwise, I just have a portfolio review on Wednesday and my Lit exam Thursday morning, and then I’m free until I leave on Friday.” Upon mentioning his imminent departure, Aoba recalled the conversation he had with Noiz earlier that night. “So you’re really going to stay on campus for most of break?” he asked.

“Looks like it.”

“But there’ll be hardly anyone else around. Don’t you think you’ll get bored?”

Noiz shrugged. “I’ve never had problems keeping myself entertained. Besides, there are a bunch of new PC games that I’ve been meaning to play.”

Aoba frowned, unhappy with the idea of his boyfriend spending most of his vacation alone in his room. But Noiz at last decided to resume studying and their discussion ended there.

—————

**To: Sei**

_Message_ **  
**I’M DONE WITH EXAMS!!!

Aoba had just finished sending the text as he walked through the entrance of Glitter. Though he was relieved to finally be done with the semester, he did feel a little disappointed that he had no one to celebrate with. Clear, who finished early, had already left for home the night before and the rest of his friends still had exams or papers due.

When he stepped into his room, he spotted his puppy snuggled next to Mr. Jellyfish on Clear’s bed. Aoba approached Ren and patted him on the head. He made a pitiful whining noise in response.Ever since Clear left, Ren had been moping around the room and staring forlornly out the window or at Clear’s bed. The day prior, he had made such a fuss when Clear was packing his luggage that some of the other hall residents had complained to Mizuki about the noise. Aoba scooped the sad puppy into his arms and carried him to his own bed. “Cheer up, Ren. He’ll only be gone a few weeks. Besides, we’ll finally get to go home tomorrow!”

As if on cue, Aoba’s ringtone went off. After carefully placing Ren on his mattress, he answered the call. On the other end of the line, he heard a familiar voice say, “Congratulations!”

Teasingly, Aoba replied, “Aren’t you supposed to be working right now? You’re not slacking off, are you?”

“Of course not. I’m on break! Oh, and now you’re on break too!” Sei chuckled at his own joke, an endearing habit of his that never failed to make Aoba smile. They briefly chatted about how Aoba’s exams went, and then began discussing their plans for his three-week vacation.

In the middle of conversing about the upcoming o-shogatsu festival, Sei abruptly asked, “Is your special somebody still on campus?” Ever since he had first told Sei he was dating Noiz, Sei insisted on using embarrassing phrases like “special somebody” and “significant other” when referring to Noiz.

“He’s not going home until Saturday,” Aoba replied.

“He’s from Germany, right? It must be hard for him to be so far from home.”

Aoba refrained from commenting on his brother’s musings. For what felt like the millionth time in the past month, Aoba found himself wondering about Noiz’s home life.

“I can’t wait to meet him someday,” Sei continued, “It’s too bad Grandma and I won’t be able to anytime soon.”

“That’s true,” Aoba began to say, but he abruptly stopped and ran his brother’s words through his head once more. “Wait a minute. That’s actually not a bad idea…”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

An idea was forming in Aoba’s mind. With a growing excitement in his voice, he cryptically said, “I think you might get to meet him sooner than you think.”

—————

Noiz was the first in his class to exit the computer lab. He sauntered down the hallway with an arrogant smile on his lips, confident in the knowledge that he had aced his last exam.

Suddenly, a voice from behind called his name. He stopped and turned to its source, hearing footsteps thudding after him from the same direction. “Aoba?”

The man in question grinded to a halt, panting slightly from the effort of chasing after Noiz. His long hair looked as though it had been mussed by the wind, and he absentmindedly reached up to tuck a stray tuft of hair behind his ear. Noiz smiled, finding the gesture cute, and admired the now-exposed curve of Aoba’s jawline.

“You didn’t have to run after me,” Noiz said. “We have plenty of time before the city shuttle arrives.” Now that they finally had time for themselves, they were planning to celebrate the end of the semester by going out for dinner in the city.

Aoba shook his head. “This is about something else. And I had to talk with you about it as soon as possible.”

Noiz raised his brow in curiosity. Suddenly nervous, Aoba struggled to find his words. “W-well… as you know, I’m going back to my hometown tomorrow. And you know how you said that you’ll be staying on campus for most of break?”

Noiz patiently waited for Aoba to get to the point. He continued, “I know you said that being alone here on campus doesn’t bother you, but it _does_ bother me. And I talked it over with my family just now and they said it would be okay, so…” Aoba swallowed nervously and finally asked, “When you return from Germany, do you want to stay at my place for the rest of break?”

Noiz stared at Aoba with a blank expression as he considered the offer. Taking his silence as a negative reaction, Aoba quickly blurted, “No pressure or anything! I just thought I should ask. You’d have to take the train there since there’s no airport in my town, so I could see why it would be a hassle. If you don’t want to, it’s perfectly-”

“Okay.”

“…Okay?”

Noiz smirked as Aoba gaped at him. His face really was an open book. “Yeah. I’ll go.”

“You will?!”

Noiz chuckled and wrapped his arms around Aoba’s waist. “If you’re family’s okay with it, then yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

Aoba grinned and leaned into the embrace, resting his forehead against Noiz’s cheek. “You’ll get to meet my brother and my grandma, and we can spend Christmas and New Year’s together too!” Aoba’s enthusiasm was infectious. Noiz smiled as Aoba outlined his plans for the holidays, glad that he could spend time alone with his boyfriend after what would likely be a terrible week with his family in Germany. But for now, Noiz banished all thoughts of his childhood home from his mind and simply enjoyed the feel of Aoba in his arms, their bodies pressed close enough to feel the other’s heartbeat.


	9. Toue University: Winter Break (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noiz visits Aoba’s hometown for the holidays, where he meets Aoba’s grandmother and his brother Sei.

Noiz stepped off the train onto the relatively empty platform, carrying nothing but a traveler’s backpack. He made his way to the station exit, and once outside, his eyes searched the area for a familiar face, or rather one familiar face in particular. He could hear the thudding of his own heartbeat; he wasn’t sure why, but he had felt uneasy the entire train ride over. It certainly didn’t help that his less-than-pleasant parting conversation with his father still lingered on his mind. He grimaced at the memory.

Noiz’s return trip home ended up being as unfortunate of an experience as he had anticipated. Though he had briefly toyed with the idea of telling his parents about Aoba en route to Germany, after his first night back, he realized how foolish he was to have even considered it. He even abstained from informing his brother, though like a telepathic, Klaus still seemed able to sense that something in Noiz had changed and occasionally asked him thinly-veiled questions such as whether he had “met anyone interesting” at university—questions that Noiz evaded with ease.

From the corner of his eyes, he spotted a distinct shade of blue heading towards him from some distance away. Noiz noticed that he had brought his puppy along as well, and that unlike at university, the pet was now walking around without a leash. Catching sight of Noiz as well, Aoba broke into a sprint to close the distance, the puppy running along beside him. He was slightly out of breath by the time he arrived.

“Sorry I’m late! Did you wait long?”

“No, only a few minutes.”

Aoba self-consciously glanced around the area before shyly kissing Noiz on the lips. “I’m so happy you decided to come. I missed you,” Aoba confessed, his cheeks instantly turning several shades pinker.

Noiz smiled as a pleasant warmth filled his chest. Though they had managed to correspond over the phone while he was in Germany, hearing Aoba’s voice filtered through satellites and speakers only reminded him of their distance. Each call ended with Noiz yearning for the physical contact they shared now. For someone who spent the majority of his life avoiding people, it was an odd feeling.

Aoba took Noiz’s hand in his and lead him back in the direction he had come, glimpsing down at his feet to make sure Ren was following them. “My house is just a ten-minute walk away. My brother won’t be back from work until a few hours from now, but my grandma’s home.”

As they walked, Noiz gazed at the old-fashioned shops and homes that bordered both sides of the street. The worn-down storefronts and weathered plaster walls served as a stark contrast to the sleek glass-and-marble cages that lined his own neighborhood in Grünwald. Noiz briefly wondered how his own life might have turned out had he been raised in a town like this.

Despite the chilly weather, many people were strolling about or sitting on their front porches. The majority of these people recognized Aoba and greeted him as they walked by. One plump middle-aged lady with a shrill voice took a particular interest in Noiz and asked if he was “the special visitor Tae-san talked about.” When Aoba reluctantly responded in the affirmative, the lady practically manhandled him into promising that the two of them would drop by her house for dinner later that week.

“Sorry about that,” Aoba whispered to him once they finally managed to sneak away, “She’s a friend of the family’s. She’s a good person even though she can be a bit…” Aoba trailed off and sighed, prompting an amused smile from Noiz.

A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a modest-sized two-story building with a wavy slate roof, a house literally indistinguishable from its neighbors. The door had been left wide open and Ren excitedly ran into the house ahead of them. As they walked through the entrance, Noiz caught whiff of a sweet aroma wafting out from further down the hall.

“Grandma,” Aoba called, “We’re back!”

In response, his grandma barked, “Come into the kitchen!”

_Strong vocal chords for an old lady_ , Noiz dryly thought. From her voice alone, he could already tell that she was the authority figure of the house and likely a woman of little patience. As though to confirm his suspicions, Aoba tugged Noiz by the arm and hurriedly marched them both into the kitchen.

She was hunched over the sink when they walked in, her back turned to them. Noiz spotted a bowl of freshly-made doughnuts on the table beside them. Though it had been months since Noiz had last eaten one, he easily recalled their saccharine taste.

Aoba grabbed the bowl off the table and offered it to him. “Remember these? They’re even better when they’re warm!”

Noiz was about to reach up and grab one, but stopped mid-way. Smirking, he asked, “Aren’t you going to feed them to me like last time?”

With an expression that was a mixture of panic and embarrassment, Aoba glanced at his grandma, who either didn’t hear or decided to ignore Noiz’s comment. Aoba turned back to glare at Noiz then shoved the bowl hard into his stomach. “If you’re going to tease me like that, we’re not gonna feed you at all!” Aoba said in a hushed tone.

Still smirking, Noiz gladly accepted the bowl and popped a doughnut into his mouth. Aoba’s grandma finished washing the dishes then turned to them, a disapproving frown already marking her features. Squat yet somehow imposing, she looked every bit the matriarch Noiz had anticipated. “Aoba, offer him something to drink. And don’t stand while you eat, sit down at the table!”

Noiz usually hated following orders, but for Aoba’s sake, he felt compelled to make a good impression. He obediently sat in his chair. Aoba went to the fridge and returned with a melon-flavored ramune soda, which he set down in front of Noiz with a loud clink.

“Could you get me a plate too?” Noiz’s impudent smirk only grew wider as he added, “Thank you for your service.”

Aoba scowled. “Don’t get used to this,” he muttered as he made his way to the cabinet.

A few seconds later, Aoba came back with his plate, giving Noiz the same sour look from earlier. Noiz’s own expression sobered as Aoba’s grandma sat in the seat across from him. “Your name is… Noiz?”

He nodded.

“Aoba tells me you’re from Germany. But you don’t seem to have any problems speaking Japanese.”

“My family runs a conglomerate that is mostly composed of Japanese corporations. Aside from that, my father was raised in Japan, so you could say I grew up around the language.”

Aoba’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You’ve never mentioned that.”

 “You’ve never asked.”

Before Aoba could counter his retort, his grandma cleared her throat to reclaim their attention. “Though you’re our guest, there are some rules you’ll have to follow while you’re under this roof.”

Aoba visibly blanched. “Grandma, this really isn’t necessary,” Aoba said in a voice that was a borderline whine. His grandma ignored his plea and fixed Noiz with a hard stare. Noiz reflexively straightened his back and met her square in the eye.

“Firstly,” she began, “Since you’ll be here for two weeks, I expect you to pick up after yourself. You’ll be staying in the living room, which should stay as neat and tidy as it is now. Of course, doing your own laundry and dishes is also a must.”

Noiz paused to think and then nodded after a few seconds, finding the request reasonable.

“Secondly,” she continued, and from the corner of his eyes, Noiz noticed Aoba begin to fidget, “What you and Aoba do while the both of you are at school is your own business. But while you’re here, under no circumstances will I allow any tomfoolery between you two. Is that clear?”

Noiz couldn’t help but smile a little at her insinuation. He snuck a glimpse at Aoba, who was slumped over the table, face buried in his hands. “I think we can manage that.”

“Good. Aoba’s brother Sei should be returning from work in a little while. Until then, Aoba will show you around the house.” Her face finally broke into a smile as her eyes fell upon her blushing grandson, who still refused to look at either one of them. “Aoba,” she said in a gentler tone, “Why don’t you bring Noiz to your room upstairs?”

Noiz thought it was ironic for her to mention Aoba’s bedroom after her warning about “no tomfoolery.” But Aoba apparently missed the irony of her statement and, looking for an excuse to leave the room, grabbed Noiz and practically dragged him out of the kitchen. Once away from his grandma, Aoba regained his composure fairly quickly. On the way to the second floor, Aoba showed him the living room and the couch he would be sleeping on, then the bathroom at the summit of the staircase before finally showing him into his room.

The first thing Noiz took note of was that the room in fact had two beds. One side was plain and fairly nondescript, whereas the other side… It took Noiz a moment to fully process it.

The other half of the room was literally covered with stuffed toy bears. There was even one gigantic brown teddy bear at the foot of the bed that was at least as tall as his waist. On a table in the corner was several vases filled with dozens of dried up flowers. It was bizarre, like a scene from another world.

“Was a child living here?” Noiz asked, his confusion clearly showing through his voice.

Aoba gave him an odd look. He traced Noiz’s line of sight, then laughed as the meaning behind Noiz’s question became clear to him. “No, Sei just really likes toy bears. He collects them.” Noiz raised a brow at the lackluster explanation, but Aoba declined to elaborate.

The pair stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do next. Finally, Aoba asked, “Do you want to head out? We can go to the shop where my brother works. We were planning to take you out to dinner at a restaurant near the shop anyway, so it’ll be more convenient if we just meet him there.”

Noiz agreed, feeling more curious about Aoba’s brother than ever, and after saying a quick goodbye to Aoba’s grandma, the two of them headed out.

—————

Aoba’s brother worked at a junk shop several blocks away from their house. After seeing his room, Noiz expected for Sei to be an eccentric like Clear, but he turned out to be a kindhearted, frail-looking boy with a warm personality and a disarming smile to match. Noiz and Aoba helped Sei close the store, which was especially difficult once a trio of children came running in to wreak havoc on the shop. Noiz noticed that the only girl of the three seemed particularly curious about him and kept demanding to know more about him and what he was doing there. When the children finally left, the girl thrust her finger in Noiz’s face and said in a haughty tone, “I’ll come back tomorrow. You better be here!” then ran after her brothers. For some reason, her parting words made Aoba and Sei burst into laughter.

The three of them went to a nearby yakiniku restaurant for dinner, where the owners, who were well-acquainted with Aoba and Sei, let them have a free bottle of sake despite them all being underage. Aoba was always much more touchy-feely when he was tipsy and as the dinner progressed, Aoba went from being visibly flustered as they held hands underneath the table to practically sitting on Noiz’s lap as they openly cuddled—a transition that received both Noiz and Sei’s enthusiastic approval.

Perhaps against their better judgment, they ended up requesting a second bottle of sake, which the owners happily supplied. By the time the three of them returned home, Aoba was incapacitated to the point that Noiz and Sei were forced to help him into bed.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t have given him so much,” Sei mumbled, sending Noiz a sympathetic smile as Aoba drunkenly grabbed Noiz by the collar and commanded him to give him a good night kiss.

Once Aoba had finally dozed off, Sei returned with Noiz to the first floor to help him get situated in the living room.

“I thought I knew my brother so well,” Sei said with a soft laugh as he unfolded the couch into a mattress, “But I feel like I saw a different side of him today!”

Noiz smiled, feeling a little surprised at how quickly he had taken a liking to Sei. There was something about him, some quality that made even Noiz believe that his kindness was sincere. Thinking about it now, Noiz realized that it was not-so-surprising that Sei and Aoba should be so similar in that regard.

Sei finished preparing the makeshift bed and stepped back to observe his work. “Sorry that we don’t have anything better for you. This house is too small to have an extra bedroom… I hope this won’t be too uncomfortable?”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine. Thanks.”

Noiz expected Sei to return to his own room at that point, but instead, he simply stood there and stared at Noiz with an indecipherable expression. Noiz wasn’t sure why, but Sei’s gaze made him feel vulnerable and exposed. It would have been more unnerving if Sei were not such a benevolent person.

“Is something wrong?” Noiz asked, feeling a little uncomfortable.

Sei’s lips curved upwards in an easy smile. “No, sorry, it’s just… Well, I’m a little surprised! You’ve only been dating Aoba for a short while now, but it’s obvious that you already care for him so much.”

Noiz’s eyes widened at the frankness of his assertion. “How-” Noiz began, but quickly rethought his words and instead decided to ask, “Why do you say that?”

Sei looked down at the ground, lost in his thoughts. “It’s in your eyes. Eyes don’t lie. And yours look at Aoba with so much tenderness.”

Sei’s own eyes looked up again to meet his. Then, he suddenly winked and put his forefinger to his lips. “Don’t worry. I know Aoba can be kind of clueless when it comes to this type of stuff, so your secret’s safe with me.” He stretched and let out a tired groan. “Anyway, it’s getting late. I have to go to work early tomorrow, so I should head to bed.”

Sei’s words reminded Noiz of something he had been curious about all night. Before Sei had a chance to leave, Noiz said, “I have a question, if you don’t mind answering it.”

Sei turned back towards him. “A question?”

“Why toy bears?”

Sei was silent for a moment. Then he suddenly began to laugh. “Ah… you mean the ones in my room? I guess I could see why it would seem weird out of context.” Looking a little embarrassed, Sei explained, “They’re from when I was younger. I was really sickly as a child and I ended up in the hospital a lot. I really liked teddy bears at the time, so whenever I was sick, my friends and relatives would give them to me as gifts. Though really, the majority of them are from grandma and Aoba.”

Sei looked down at his hands. His expression grew somber as he recalled his childhood memories. “There were times when I was stuck in the hospital for weeks, but Aoba still visited me every day. I’m still really grateful for it. Honestly, I’ve always felt like Aoba has done so much more for me than I have for him. I’ve always wanted to make Aoba as happy as he’s made me.” He lifted his head to address Noiz once more. “I feel like I should thank you.”

“For what?”

Sei smiled, though his eyes shone with a tinge of sadness. “For giving Aoba the happiness that I never could.” Without waiting for a response, Sei finally excused himself and retreated to his room.

—————

The next few days passed by in a rush of activity. Each day, Aoba and Noiz helped Sei close shop, and each day the little girl named Mio dropped by to interrogate Noiz. One day while on their way to a nearby park, Aoba and Noiz bumped into the middle-aged lady Noiz met on his first day there, who Aoba referred to as “Yoshie-san.” She badgered Aoba into making good on his promise to drop by for dinner, so later that night, he brought Noiz and Sei along with him to her house. Yoshie had also requested that Aoba bring Ren along so that he could play with her own dog, Clara, but for some reason, once they arrived, Ren refused to go inside the house and instead hid in the bushes in the front yard the whole night.

Though the weather had been mild for the first couple days, the temperature abruptly dropped and by Christmas Eve, there was a light snowfall covering the town. That afternoon, everyone went out to see the Christmas lights and the giant Christmas tree in the town center. At one point, Noiz excused himself to find a bathroom, and Sei took advantage of the opportunity to ask Aoba, “So what do you two have planned for tonight?”

Aoba looked away, shame-faced. “Umm… nothing really?”

“What?! Aoba, it’s Christmas! You two have to do _something_ together!”

Aoba bit his lip. He had worried this topic would come up. “But I don’t really know what to do… besides, I get the feeling that Noiz doesn’t like Christmas very much.” Aoba figured that it must have had something to do with his family, though he didn’t dare ask.

“Then you just need to give him a reason to like it! And there’s plenty of stuff to do around town tonight.” Sei listed several activities off the top of his head.

“I guess that’s true,” Aoba said, still sounding uncertain.

With a reassuring smile, Sei took Aoba’s hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Aoba, don’t worry so much. I think as long as he gets to spend time alone with you, he’ll be happy.”

Aoba nodded, repeating the words in his head. Sei was right. There was no reason for him to feel anxious.

They returned home a couple hours later. Once Aoba and Noiz were alone in the living room, Aoba nervously asked, “Do you want to go out tonight? Since it’s Christmas Eve and all…”

Aoba expected for Noiz to at least ask where they were going, but to his surprise, Noiz immediately said yes.

“Are we heading out right now?” Noiz asked, picking up his coat from where he had left it on the couch.

“Ah, hold on a sec. It’s getting colder, so I think I’ll change to a warmer coat.” Five minutes later, Aoba reemerged from his room wearing a velvet red coat with a white faux fur lining, as well as a pair of earmuffs in matching colors. The red outfit nicely complemented the rich blue color of his hair. Noiz appreciatively gave Aoba a once-over before cupping his earmuffs with the palms of his hands and leaning in to kiss him on the lips.

“What was that for?” Aoba asked once they parted, slightly out-of-breath.

Noiz smiled. “No reason,” he said as he took Aoba’s hand and led him out of the house.

Aoba decided to follow Sei’s recommendation and took the both of them to a nearby family restaurant that was serving special chicken dinners for Christmas Eve.

“Japanese people eat chicken on Christmas?” Noiz asked as he surveyed his roasted chicken breast. “Interesting.”

“I thought it was like that everywhere. What do you eat in Germany?”

“Potatoes and roasted goose.”

Aoba wrinkled his nose. “That’s weird.”

“Eating chicken on Christmas is what’s weird.”

As they ate, the pair overheard the couple at the table adjacent to them mention a nearby indoor ice rink that was free for tonight only.

“They said it’s just a few buildings away. Wanna go?” Noiz casually asked.

“Do you know how to ice skate?”

“Yeah. Do you?”

“No, I never learned. Is it difficult?” It certainly didn’t seem difficult, with the way people effortlessly glided across the ice.

“It’s not that bad once you get the hang of it. But it takes a little while to get used to.”

Aoba shrugged. “How hard could it be?”

An hour later and Aoba’s butt was sore from the amount of times he had fallen on it. For some reason, he just couldn’t get himself to balance on the darn blades. Noiz was holding onto both of his hands as the two of them slowly made their way across the ice. Just when Aoba thought he might be getting a feel for it, he tripped on a scratch in the ice and fell forwards, dragging Noiz down with him.

“Oww,” Aoba moaned. He had banged his knees pretty hard against the ice. Noiz was lying down flat on the ice floor. He covered his face with his hand and started laughing.

“Hey!” Aoba said with a pout. He crawled over to Noiz and laid down half-on-top of him, his head resting just beneath the other man’s collarbone. He could hear Noiz’s laughter rumble through his chest. “This is impossible,” he said with a defeated sigh.

Once he managed to rein in his laugh, Noiz snuck his arm underneath Aoba and wrapped it around his waist. The two of them lay there in silence, as other couples occasionally skated by and gave them odd looks. Normally Aoba would feel more self-conscious about the weird stares they were getting, but after having already made a fool of himself falling a million times, he could no longer bring himself to care. Gaining courage through the knowledge that he had nothing to lose, Aoba swung his leg over Noiz and crawled up until their faces were mere inches apart.

Noiz’s eyes bore into his. He reached up and grazed his thumb against Aoba’s cheek. “Are we going to make out in the middle of the ice rink?” he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“Do you want to?” Aoba replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Noiz rested his hand on the back of Aoba’s neck, then pulled him down until their mouths finally connected. The two of them lay there on the ice, gently nipping and sucking on each other’s lips, until an older couple yelled at them to get out of the rink before they caused an accident. Aoba once again tripped over a ragged patch of ice on their way out, and in that moment, Aoba swore he would never go ice skating again.

—————

The weather began to warm up again after Christmas, so that during the week of New Year’s, they were able to comfortably go outside wearing only a light sweater. Noiz quickly learned that, unlike in his home country, New Year’s was a huge multi-day celebration in Japan with numerous traditions and rituals and festivals—just attempting to remember all the names and terms that had been casually tossed around over the past few days made his head spin.

Earlier that morning, Aoba had informed him that today was called _Omisoka_ and that they would spend most of the day cleaning and decorating the house. After all the household chores were finally done, for dinner, they rewarded themselves with a large bowl of soba noodles.

“We’re actually supposed to eat these later tonight, but we’re hungry so we’re eating them now,” Sei said with a laugh after noisily slurping down a long noodle.

Later that night, the whole family dressed up to attend _hatsumode_ , the first shrine visit of the New Year. Tae-san wore a short-sleeved light purple kimono with a gold-colored obi. At Tae-san’s request, the neighbors had graciously lent Noiz a dark-colored hakama to wear for the night, which Sei helped him put on.

As it neared midnight, Tae-san asked Noiz to fetch Sei and Aoba from their room. When he reached the top of the staircase, even through the closed door he could hear Aoba complain, “I bet no one else is even gonna dress up for this!”

“Oh, Aoba, stop fretting,” came Sei’s response. “You look beautiful! I can’t wait to see Noiz’s reaction!”

Curiosity piqued, Noiz immediately knocked on the door. “We’ll be right there!” Sei replied.

Sei was the first to exit the room. He was wearing a long-sleeved light-green kimono with a white-colored obi. His hair was tied up in a neat bun held together by a butterfly-shaped hairpiece the same shade of green as his kimono. He looked _good_.

“I know I said this earlier, but that hakama really suits you, Noiz!”

“Thanks. Is Aoba ready yet?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” Aoba emerged from behind the door and Noiz’s jaw literally dropped.

Aoba was wearing a white kimono with an intricate pink floral design decorating the bottom half. His obi matched the color of the flowers. But what really caught Noiz’s eyes was Aoba’s hair, which was styled into a side French braid that trailed all the way down to his waist.

“Do you like his hair?” Sei asked. “We had to add extensions to get the braid this long, but I think it was worth the extra work!”

Noiz just stood there in stunned silence. Meanwhile, Aoba was too flustered by Noiz’s reaction to say anything either. Sei looked back-and-forth between the two of them with a knowing smile.

Tae-san finally broke the silence by announcing that she was fed up with waiting and threatened to leave without them if they weren’t out the door in the next minute.

They arrived at the temple mere seconds before midnight. Once the clock struck twelve, the ringing of the temple bell signaled the start of the New Year, the steady rhythmic beat echoing throughout the town. When no one else was looking, Noiz pulled Aoba close to him and captured his lips in a deep kiss, the sound of their moans thankfully hidden by the drumming of the bell.

Once they parted, Noiz brushed a stray strand of hair from Aoba’s face, then admired the new hairstyle once more. “I like this look on you,” he said, “You should wear your hair like this more often.”

“No way! It took an hour to get it like this. So unless you want to braid it yourself, it ain’t happening.”

Noiz chuckled. “Then I guess I’ll just have to wait another year.”

They kissed once more and as Noiz enjoyed the warmth of Aoba’s lips against his, in the back of his mind, he wondered if he had ever before been as happy as he was at that very moment.


	10. Toue University: Winter Break (Part III)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noiz and Aoba return to campus a day early and decide to use this rare moment of privacy to consummate their relationship.

A few days before the end of break, Aoba abruptly asked Noiz if he wanted to return to campus a day early. Noiz asked why and Aoba responded that he needed an extra day to readjust. Noiz had found that answer somewhat suspicious, but he decided that whatever Aoba was planning must’ve been good if he was being so secretive about it.

On the Saturday before classes resumed, the two of them, three including Ren, said their goodbyes to Tae-san and Sei, then boarded the train back to Toue. The ride back was almost three-hours long, most of which Aoba spent asleep on Noiz’s shoulder. They arrived at their mostly-deserted dorm building in the early evening.

Noiz noticed that Aoba seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing his room empty. “I guess Clear’s not coming back until tomorrow.”

“Were you expecting him to be back this early?”

“No,” Aoba answered, then hauled his luggage to his cabinet without further explanation. Noiz gently lowered the dog cage onto the floor and lifted the door, the puppy immediately bursting free from his cramped confines.

“I’ll go unpack too,” Noiz said, turning towards the hallway. “I’ll head back up here when I’m fi-” Noiz halted when he felt Aoba suddenly grab his hand and pull him back into the room.

“Hold on a sec.” Aoba stared down at their intertwined hands as a slight blush spread across his face. “I wanted to ask you something.”

Aoba tried to look him in the eyes, but was too flustered to maintain his stare for long. Noiz smiled, feeling more amused than curious. He tipped Aoba’s chin with curved fingers, his amusement doubling when Aoba continued to avoid his gaze. Whatever Aoba wanted to say, he was _definitely_ looking forward to hearing it now.

“What is it, then?”

Aoba gulped, his throat feeling oddly constricted. “Uhh, well, I was just wondering if you wanted to…”

Noiz lifted a brow as Aoba cleared his throat and trailed off. He stared at the other man, patiently waiting for him to continue.

Aoba’s blush deepened into an even lovelier shade of pink. “Well, since Clear isn’t here and hardly anyone is around… And even back at home, it was hard for us to have even a little bit of privacy. But since we’re alone now, I just thought this might be the best time to…”

Aoba trailed off once more. Noiz’s eyes widened as Aoba’s unspoken question became clear to him. “You want to have sex,” he bluntly stated.

Aoba bowed his head, his hair obscuring his face from Noiz’s view. After a few seconds pause, he slowly nodded. Noiz simply stared, his smile growing wider with each passing second.

Noiz took the blushing boy in his arms and gently kissed him on the top of his head. Then with a mischievous glimmer in his eyes, he said, “You really planned this out, huh? Having us return a day early and everything. I feel like I walked right into your trap.”

Aoba let out a soft groan in protest. “Can you please not tease me? I feel embarrassed enough as is.”

Noiz planted another kiss on his head in apology, then buried his face in Aoba’s hair, breathing in his unique scent. “You know, if you wanted to do it so bad, you should’ve told me earlier.”

Aoba squirmed uncomfortably. “You’re squeezing me too tight.”

Noiz laughed and released his hold over the other man.

Aoba took a small step back, his whole face tinged red. He absentmindedly used his fingers to comb through his now-disheveled hair. “To be honest, I didn’t really want to do it before. I got nervous just thinking about it. But now…” Aoba reflected upon all the memories from the past two weeks that the two of them now shared. He smiled. “Now I feel like there isn’t anything to worry about after all.”

Aoba finally looked Noiz in the eyes. He stood on the tips of his toes and hugged Noiz around the neck, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. With Noiz’s coaxing, their kiss quickly deepened, tenderly nipping and sucking at the other’s lips and leaving the both of them panting once they finally parted for air. Aoba buried his face in the crook of the other man’s neck, his moistened lips lightly brushing against skin. Nervously, he mumbled, “The drugstore is still open if you want to… buy supplies.”

Noiz smirked at the euphemism. “I already have condoms and lube in my room.”

“You do??” Aoba leaned away, shooting him an accusatory look.

“I got them a few days after we started dating… just in case.” He reached up and surprised Aoba by pinching him on the nose. “I wasn’t planning to use them on anyone other than you, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Aoba smacked his hand away, flustered. “I wasn’t thinking that! Geez!” He huffed and crossed his arms, earning another amused smile from Noiz.

Noiz stepped away and half-turned towards the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, okay?”

Aoba paused mid-nod. “Ah, hold on.” He stooped down to pick his puppy up from the floor. “Can you bring this little guy with you? I don’t want him jumping onto the bed while we’re… you know…” He stretched his arms out in offering.

Seeing that Aoba was attempting to pass him off to Noiz, Ren struggled for a short while before timidly relenting. He grumpily sat in Noiz’s arms and let out a whining noise to show his disapproval.

Noiz gave Aoba another quick kiss. “See you soon,” he said in a voice just above a whisper before heading out. He smiled to himself the entire way to his room, glad that no one was around to witness his unusual cheerfulness. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so elated; even the unexpected rush of emotions he felt on Halloween night couldn’t compare to the feelings that now flowed through him and made his heart pound with anticipation.

Arriving at his room, Noiz set Ren down on the ground, noting with slight interest when the dog immediately ran over to Mink’s side of the room, comfortably nestling himself on the man’s bed. He dumped his backpack onto his bed and began rummaging through his drawers. He found his bottle of lube after just a few seconds of searching, but when he grabbed at the area where he thought he had placed his condoms, he came up empty. Hoping he had simply misplaced them, he opened the drawer immediately below the first. Then the next one. And the next.

After several minutes of tearing through all the drawers and cabinets in his possession, he was still unable to recover them. He scanned his corner of the room one more time, irritation seeping into his increasingly strained expression. How could he have lost them?

He considered buying more at the drugstore, but it was ten minutes away by foot and he preferred not to make Aoba wait that long. His eyes wandered to Koujaku’s section of the room as he toyed with a second option. Considering the man’s social proclivities, he was sure to be fully stocked. He probably wouldn’t even notice if Noiz took one… or two.

Accepting his own logic, Noiz snuck over to the opposite side of the room and carefully combed through each drawer of the man’s study desk. Finding no luck there, he warily eyed the set of drawers sitting innocuously against the wall beside the foot of Koujaku’s bed. With a resigned sigh, Noiz decided to first try the most obvious—and most repugnant—possibility: the sock and underwear drawer. Finding the drawer in question on his third try, he grimaced at its contents before tentatively dipping his hand in. He used his fingers to scrape the bottom and sides of the drawer, feeling for anything unusual.

He became so engrossed in his search that it took him a few moments longer than usual to process the quiet creak of the door as it swung open behind him.

Noiz froze just as the newcomer angrily asked, “What the hell are you doing?”

_Shit_.

Steeling himself for the awkward confrontation to come, Noiz quickly withdrew his hand and turned his head, slowly. Even with Koujaku’s face half-hidden behind his long bangs, Noiz could still clearly make out the mixture of shock and outrage on the other man’s face.

Just then, Ren suddenly jumped off Mink’s bed and ran to Koujaku, stopping right at his heel. Koujaku looked down at the dog, briefly distracted, before returning his gaze to Noiz. “What… what the hell? Why is Ren here? What’s going on?”

Noiz didn’t answer immediately. After taking some time to consider his next words, Noiz decided to dodge the other man’s questions by stating the obvious. “You’re back early.”

Annoyed, Koujaku snapped, “Of course I am! I have kendo practice tomorrow. Why are _you_ here?”

Noiz’s eyes drifted away from Koujaku’s face to the floor as he mulled over his options. His knee-jerk reaction was to lie, but he was unable to think of any convincing explanations for what he was doing. And in this situation, there was no way he could somehow trick Koujaku into giving him what he wanted. With an exasperated sigh, he chose to come clean.

“I lost my box of condoms. Could I use one of yours?”

“… _What_?” Koujaku just stared for a long moment, his mouth struggling to find words.

Noiz found it oddly fascinating to observe the subtle changes in Koujaku’s expression as his words sunk in, his face betraying every one of his conflicted, warring emotions. For the barest moment, jealousy seemed to consume him and Noiz instinctively tensed his body in defense. Just when Noiz had convinced himself that he had lost his gamble, and that the two of them would end up breaking their truce after all, Koujaku suddenly threw his bags onto the floor and strode towards his bed.

“Sniffing my boxers isn’t going to help you find any condoms, I’m afraid.”

Noiz scowled and haughtily replied, “If my hand gets some weird skin disease, you’re shouldering the medical bills.”

Koujaku muttered something under his breath as he kneeled next to his bed, lifting the head of the mattress and shoving his arm into the opening. His hand re-emerged with a plastic baggie. He picked out one condom from the bag and stared down at it with a thoughtful expression. He stood and redirected his eyes at Noiz, a hard edge to his gaze.

“Are you… experienced?” Koujaku asked, cautious in his wording.

Noiz was not nearly so courteous. “If you’re asking whether I’ve had sex with men before, the answer is yes.”

A crease appeared above Koujaku’s brow as he fixed Noiz with a borderline glare. “If that’s the case, then you have no excuse. You better not hurt him.”

Sensing the genuine concern lurking behind his threat, Noiz made certain to return the look with one of equal intensity. “I won’t.”

After a few seconds of tense silence, Koujaku finally broke eye contact. He scratched the back of his head and glanced back down at the condom in his hand. “This is the only size I have.”

Noiz glimpsed the letters XL written on the center of the wrapper. He smirked. “Don’t worry, that should fit fine. In fact, it might even be a little tight.”

Koujaku let out a low growl. He used his fingers to flick the condom directly at Noiz’s face, which he easily intercepted. “Arrogant brat,” Koujaku spat. “Get out of here before I change my mind.”

Noiz pocketed the condom, wedging it safely underneath the lube. He left the room without another word, deciding to save his snide comebacks for a later time; if Noiz were completely honest with himself, a part of him felt a little sorry for the other man. Just a little.

A couple minutes later, he was standing in front of Aoba’s door once again. Acting upon his ingrained sense of decorum, Noiz reflexively knocked before entering. When he stepped in, he noticed Aoba sitting in front of his laptop, his back to the door. His eyes widened when he noticed that Aoba’s hair was tied up into a loose ponytail.

Aoba stood from his desk and turned, greeting him with a smile. He noticed Noiz staring at him and tilted his head in curiosity, his ponytail swaying with the sudden movement. “Is something wrong?”

“Your hair…”

“Ah.” Aoba reached up to touch his hairtie. “Yeah, I thought it might get in the way later. I’ll let it down again if you don’t like it.”

Aoba started to remove the tie, but stopped when Noiz suddenly grabbed his wrist. “Don’t. Keep it like that.”

Aoba’s face broke into a smile. He let go of his hairtie and locked his fingers around the back of Noiz’s neck. “Oh? Have I just discovered another one of your weaknesses?”

The corner of Noiz’s lips curved upwards as he said, “Seeing you naked on the bed would definitely be my biggest weakness of all.”

“How romantic. You perverted brat.” Aoba made an annoyed face, though his eyes betrayed his amusement. Aoba’s hand slid up to Noiz’s hair, his fingers tickling the soft, uneven strands. He used his palm to slowly lower Noiz’s face towards him, until he could feel the other man’s breath warm his skin. Aoba playfully licked Noiz’s bottom lip before gently teasing it between his teeth, his heartbeat quickening when Noiz let out a shaky breath in response.

Aoba gasped when Noiz abruptly hugged him by the waist, pulling him to his chest. Noiz plunged his tongue into Aoba’s open mouth, eliciting a moan when he grazed his piercing against the underside of Aoba’s tongue. Aoba nipped and sucked on Noiz’s tongue, pulling him even deeper into his mouth. He would never admit it, but he loved the feel of Noiz’s piercing in his mouth, the way the hard metal rubbed against the roof of his mouth and the clacking noise it made when it tugged against the back of his teeth.

Noiz slowly guided them to the bed as they kissed. He kicked his shoes off before sitting at the center of bed, grabbing Aoba by the hands and inviting him to do the same. He laid his back flat against the mattress as Aoba sat at the edge of it and just stared at him, unsure of what to do next.

Noiz smirked. He was really too cute.

He lifted his hand and used his pointer finger to beckon Aoba to come closer. He then patted his pelvic area and ordered in a sultry voice, “Sit here.”

Nervously, Aoba crawled over to him on all-fours and carefully swung his leg over, straddling him. “Did you lock the door?” he asked, his face already flushed.

Noiz nodded, then pulled him down by the collar to devour his lips in another deep kiss. Noiz slipped his hands underneath the hem of Aoba’s shirt, palms scaling the broad side of his back. As his hands traveled back down, Noiz tried to dip his fingers underneath Aoba’s tight-fitting jeans, until Aoba stopped him by grabbing both his hands.

Aoba intertwined their fingers and brought their hands down to either side of Noiz’s head, caging him between his arms. He leaned down until his mouth hovered just above Noiz’s and whispered, “Not yet.” He then pressed their lips together for the barest of moments before pulling away. Feeling a bit more daring, Aoba guided Noiz’s hands underneath the front of his shirt, brushing the backs of Noiz’s fingers against his flat, toned stomach. “Touch me here.”

Noiz gladly obliged. His hands traveled upwards along Aoba’s sides, tracing the curves of his hips and waist, relishing the feel of taut muscles underneath smooth, silky skin. He fanned his fingers across the top of Aoba’s chest, using his thumbs to rub teasing circles around Aoba’s nipples. The corner of Noiz’s lip twitched in amusement at the yelp that burst from Aoba’s mouth when his thumb finally grazed the nub.

Aoba leaned back and shifted his weight, the movement causing his butt to accidentally press down upon Noiz’s crotch. Noiz’s hands froze as he let out a startled gasp of pleasure and Aoba felt his heart flutter in response to the sound. Spurred on by his reaction, Aoba used his palms to push down on the mattress for support and grinded his ass against Noiz’s gradually hardening bulge. Noiz’s hips jerked reflexively, a low moan falling from his slightly parted lips, and he planted his hands firmly on Aoba’s hips, his fingers digging into the fabric of his jeans. Noiz shoved his hips upwards in time to Aoba’s movements, the steady rhythm growing more erratic as Noiz became increasingly aroused. Feeling the pleasure spike, Noiz growled and thrust so hard that Aoba bounced a little from the force of it, his ponytail bobbing along with him. Noiz looked Aoba straight in the eyes, the heat of his gaze so intense that it made Aoba’s cheeks feel hot in return.

“Take your shirt off.”

Aoba immediately complied with the order, scrambling out of his shirt and throwing it over the edge of the bed. Almost immediately afterwards, Noiz flipped their positions, Aoba groaning softly at the sudden weight of Noiz’s body bearing down on him. Aoba felt a slight feeling of nervousness blossom in his chest as Noiz assumed control, his lips sucking the sensitive skin at the base of his exposed neck. Aoba cried out, startled, when Noiz’s teeth abruptly sunk into the flesh just above his collarbone, his shoulders rising in protest.

“Noiz, that hurts!” he whined, and Noiz stopped and gently kissed the abused area, as if in apology. Without missing a beat, Noiz’s tongue drew a line down the center of Aoba’s chest, his eyes glued to Aoba’s face, observing his reactions. Aoba fisted Noiz’s hair, his moans growing louder in volume as Noiz’s mouth explored the delicious expanse of smooth skin, his lips caressing every bump and curve of Aoba’s body. Aoba’s breaths were harsh and uneven by the time Noiz reached the lower half of his body.

“You’re responding well,” Noiz commented, an impish gleam in his eyes as his tongue briefly darted out to lick the bulge straining beneath the fabric of Aoba’s pants. Before Aoba even had time to react, Noiz used his hands to clamp down on Aoba’s hips and took the bulge fully into his warm mouth, sucking on it through the cloth. Aoba’s breath hitched, his hips uselessly squirming underneath Noiz’s hands.

“Noiz,” Aoba moaned, his body trembling. His fingers roughly tugged at Noiz’s hair, until the corners of his eyes stung slightly from the pain.

Noiz removed his mouth from the other man’s crotch, the denim dark and damp from his saliva. The pads of his fingers once again dipped underneath the hem of Aoba’s jeans, his fingernails lightly grazing skin. “Now?” Noiz asked, the word sounding more like a command than a question. Aoba nodded, a little too enthusiastically for his own liking.

Aoba laid there in silent anticipation, a little confused when he didn’t feel Noiz move his hands from their place at the hem. When he heard the sound of teeth clacking against metal, his eyes flickered downwards, his throat making a startled choking noise at the sight of his boyfriend unbuttoning his jeans with his mouth. Aoba watched with a mixture of embarrassment, surprise, and awe as Noiz actually succeeded in his task. He continued to use his teeth to pull down Aoba’s boxers, slowly revealing his hardened cock. Noiz’s own arousal grew when he noticed that the tip was already dripping with pre-cum, a detail that only multiplied Aoba’s mortification.

Noiz stroked the shaft with his hand, his tongue licking down the length of it. He felt Aoba shudder underneath him in response to his every movement, his own feelings of hunger and excitement growing with each second. After a few teasing flicks with his tongue, Noiz finally took the head of Aoba’s cock into his mouth, Aoba loudly moaning in ecstasy the moment his tongue connected. He rubbed his piercing against the ridge at the base of the tip, noting with satisfaction when Aoba bucked his hips in response.

His lips released Aoba’s cock with a moist pop and Noiz sat up to finally tear his own shirt off. He climbed over Aoba to grab the bottle of lube he had left on the desk next to the bed, flipping the cap open with his thumb. Aoba eyed the bottle anxiously as Noiz squeezed some of its contents onto his fingers.

As though reading his thoughts, Noiz said, “We’ll go slow. Don’t worry.”

As he coated his fingers with lube, a drop of it fell from his hand to Aoba’s chest. Out of curiosity, Aoba swiped it off with his thumb and poked the droplet with his index finger, his eyes widening at the thickness of the liquid.

“It’s so sticky… like an adhesive.” Aoba stared in wonder at the viscous strings that stretched between the two fingers. Before Aoba could fully process what was happening, Noiz bent down and wrapped his lips around the sticky fingers, sucking the lube off with his mouth and tongue. Aoba tugged his fingers out when he was done and wiped the saliva off on his bedsheets, blushing.

“Mega pervert,” Aoba muttered with a look of mock irritation. “How are you even real?”

Noiz chuckled and kissed him on the cheek to placate him before crawling back to the lower half of his body. He yanked Aoba’s pants completely off, then raised his leg and hooked his knee around his shoulder, the position lifting Aoba’s back slightly off the mattress.

He reached behind him and paused to say, “This might feel a little strange at first,” before using his fingers to spread Aoba’s asscheeks.

Aoba gulped, so nervous that he could hear the drumming of his own heart. His breath caught in his throat for a second when he felt Noiz insert the first finger. He was right; it felt odd, not just the penetration, but also the feeling of the lube inside him. Noiz pushed until his entire finger fit inside, then began to withdraw. Aoba made a quiet noise of discomfort.

“Are you okay?” Noiz asked, concerned.

“It kind of burns when you pull out.”

Noiz removed his finger and squeezed more lube onto it before trying again, the pain much duller the second time around. Noiz spent several minutes stretching him with one finger before Aoba was loose enough to be stretched with two fingers, and then eventually three, the pain gradually subsiding all the while.

“I think you’re ready.” Noiz said as he pulled his fingers out. He looked at Aoba’s face and frowned when he saw beads of sweat gathering at his temple. “Are you okay?” he asked again.

Aoba nodded. “I’m fine. It doesn’t really hurt anymore.”

Noiz soothingly trailed kisses down Aoba’s inner thigh before unhooking his leg from his shoulder. He sat up as he began to unbuckle his own pants, aware that Aoba was now observing his every move. In one quick movement, Noiz pulled both his pants and boxers down to his knees. Aoba noticed that the light seemed to reflect off of something at the underside of Noiz’s penis. His eyes bulged once he realized exactly what that _something_ was.

“You have piercings _down there_ too?!”

Noiz drew back a bit, shocked by his outburst. But when he realized what Aoba said, his face broke into a grin. “You look surprised.”

“Of course I am! Who would expect to see that??”

Noiz’s expression quickly sobered once he glimpsed the genuine fear in Aoba’s eyes. “They won’t hurt you,” he reassured him. “If anything, they’ll make you feel even better. Besides, you won’t even notice them as much through the condom.”

Aoba continued to eye them with suspicion, seemingly unconvinced. Somewhat reluctantly, Noiz said, “I could take them off for now, if you really don’t like them.”

Aoba considered his offer for a moment before shaking his head. “It’s okay. I trust you.”

His answer made Noiz smile, and Aoba smiled at him in return. Noiz once again crawled over him to reach the condom on the desk, freeing it from its wrapper. He stared at the thin rubber sleeve with an inquisitive expression and inserted a few fingers into the opening of it, the rubber stretching easily to accommodate him. His curiosity getting the better of him, he put his whole fist into the condom, his eyes widening when the rubber showed no signs of tearing.

“Impressive,” Noiz said as he extracted his hand.

Aoba stared at his boyfriend, looking considerably less impressed. “You’re acting like you’ve never seen one before.”

“I haven’t.”

Before Aoba had much time to mull over his words, Noiz carefully sheathed his cock with the condom, taking care to spread another layer of lube over the skin of it. He lifted Aoba’s legs until the front of his thighs touched his stomach, then positioned himself. Noiz looked into his eyes and simply asked, “Ready?”

Aoba nodded. His fingers clawed at the bedsheets as he felt Noiz slowly press into him, the pain returning as Noiz’s cock stretched his muscles to their limit. Noiz grit his teeth at the tightness, finding it difficult to move much further in. “Aoba, relax,” he said in a calming voice. “You’re fighting me.”

Noiz leaned down, trying to move his body as little as possible, and kissed Aoba on the forehead. “Relax,” he repeated. He listened as Aoba’s breathing steadily evened, feeling his muscles slowly loosen around him. Gently, Noiz pushed in a little further. Aoba briefly tightened before relaxing once more. Noiz continued to push in with slow, careful movements until he was buried fully inside of him.

Noiz pulled out just as slowly, and then pushed back in, allowing Aoba’s body to adjust to him. Slowly but surely, Noiz quickened his pace, feeling especially encouraged when Aoba begun to rock his hips in time with his thrusts, his legs hugging him firmly by the waist. Noiz hit a particularly tender spot, and he felt a whole new level of pleasure when Aoba let out a loud moan in delight, his hips reflexively pushing upwards to take in more of him. Noiz’s breath hitched as Aoba thrust his hips once more, his asscheeks briefly smacking against Noiz’s balls. He hissed Aoba’s name and began to ram into him with more force, unable to reign in his desire any longer.

Noiz had had several different sexual partners back in Germany, but all those previous “relationships” had been casual at best, transactional at worst. Noiz never honestly believed that romance could genuinely improve the experience, but the feeling of being inside Aoba now was indescribable. He couldn’t imagine ever tiring of this.

Aoba gasped as Noiz hit his sweet spot once more. His ass squeezed tightly around Noiz’s cock, causing Noiz’s whole body to shudder. Through half-lidded eyes, Noiz watched as Aoba’s hand slid down to his lower abdomen, his fingers grasping his own cock, now drenched in pre-cum, and stroking it to the same rhythm as their lovemaking. After a few seconds, Noiz tore his eyes away from the sight, knowing he would shed his last vestiges of control if he looked for any longer.

One peek at Aoba’s face was all Noiz needed to know that his boyfriend was nearing climax as well. After plunging into him with a particular roughness, Aoba’s body shivered violently and he suddenly wrapped his free arm around Noiz’s neck, drawing him closer to his body. Aoba closed his eyes and buried his face in Noiz’s hair, muffling the sound of his whimpers as Noiz’s movements grew wild and erratic. Nearing the height of pleasure, he slammed himself balls-deep into Aoba’s ass, Aoba letting out a cry as hot liquid exploded from his cock onto both of their bellies. After a few powerful thrusts, Noiz came as well, his toes curling from the waves of pleasure that crashed through him. He rode out his orgasm, feeling the spray of his cum bloat the condom.

Once finished, Noiz pulled himself completely out and then collapsed on top of Aoba, chest heaving. Aoba wrapped his arm around him and the two of them simply laid there for a few minutes as their breathing slowly steadied. Once he had regained his breath, Noiz finally sat up and discarded the condom at the wastebasket near the foot of the bed. He looked back at Aoba, who was staring at the ceiling, his fingers absentmindedly toying with a bundle of hair that came loose from his ponytail.

“That was… really intense.” Aoba propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes directed at Noiz. “Is sex always like that?”

Noiz smiled. “Not always.”

Noiz helped him off the bed and grabbed some Kleenex from his desk to wipe their stomachs with. He threw the tissues out just as he heard Aoba mutter, “At least now I won’t be so embarrassed every time we makeout.”

Noiz smirked. “That’s a shame. I like seeing you flustered.”

Aoba playfully elbowed him in the stomach. “Well, _you’re_ the one to blame for stealing away my innocence. You better take responsibility.”

“That’s the plan,” Noiz said, then sealed the words with a kiss.


	11. Toue University: Valentine’s Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of the others, Noiz secretly plans a Valentine’s Day date with Aoba.

Noiz’s fingers followed a rhythmic pattern over the keyboard, the code flowing from his fingertips onto the glowing screen in front of him, the only source of light in the darkened room. He had finished all his assignments hours ago and was now creating his own programs for fun. Or maybe just out of boredom.

He sighed and leaned back, eyes glued to the blinking cursor. Aoba and him hadn’t spoken for two days now. The previous day, the bite of his anger had still felt too raw for Noiz to reconcile with him, but now… if he were honest with himself, now he was only hesitating because Aoba hadn’t contacted him first.

With a sigh, Noiz folded his laptop and rested his forehead against the edge of the desk, eyelids falling shut upon contact. He hated feeling like this. And despite how much his rational side said otherwise, he couldn’t help but think that it was his own fault.

Two nights ago, he and Aoba had been in the very same study room Noiz was in now. At the time, Aoba had just come from his Economics class and immediately began complaining about his professor.

“Whenever I ask him any question, he just tells me, ‘We went over that in class,’ and looks at me like I’m an idiot. And I swear he’s biased. He scolded me in front of the whole class the one time I arrived late, but there’s this know-it-all girl who’s five minutes late everyday and he doesn’t say anything to her!”

Aoba looked at Noiz expectantly, who simply stared back with a blank expression. In an attempt to elicit a sympathetic response, Aoba asked, “Don’t you think that’s messed up?”

Noiz shrugged. “That’s just how people are.”

“But he’s a professor! He’s supposed to treat his students equally!”

“Well, most people don’t exactly do what they’re supposed to. And if he favors that one student so openly, then he must know he can get away with it.”

“So what if he can? He’s not supposed to act that way in the first place!” Aoba furrowed his brows in concern. He just couldn’t understand why Noiz was always so apathetic whenever these sorts of issues came up.

Noiz stared back at him with a confused expression, surprised that Aoba had raised his voice a little. Was he angry?

“Even if you’re not one of the better students, there are probably other ways you could get him to like you,” Noiz said, trying to find some way to appease him. “All you need to do is kiss up a bit and he’ll probably start treating you better.”

Aoba opened his mouth to say something, but shut it before the words could escape him. He returned his gaze to the book in his lap, his eyes never moving from the same spot on the page.

Noiz tried to get back to his own textbook, but Aoba’s odd behavior weighed on his conscience. Why did he seem so upset?

After a heavy pause, Noiz shut the book in his lap and said, “You look like you have something you want to say.”

Aoba refused to meet his gaze. Suddenly tight-lipped, he replied, “I don’t think I should. It might offend you.”

A response like that only made Noiz want to hear his thoughts even more. “Tell me.”

Aoba glanced up at him briefly, Noiz sensing his uncertainty when their eyes connected. “It’s just… I really don’t like when you say things like that.”

“Say things like what?” Noiz asked, frowning.

Aoba hesitated to push their conversation forward, his breath seemingly stuck in his throat. He now regretted ever having brought it up. Deciding that he couldn’t leave the question unanswered, Aoba heaved a sigh before finally looking him straight in the eye. “You’re just so negative sometimes. It really bothers me.”

Noiz stared at him as he processed the information, face blank save for the slight crease in his brow. “Negative in what way?”

Aoba curbed his eyes to the side as he paused to think, selecting his words carefully. “It’s the way you talk about people. It’s like you think the whole world is greedy and selfish.”

“But people _are_ greedy and selfish.” Noiz noted a drastic change in Aoba’s expression, and he quickly added, “I’m not saying that you’re like that. I’m talking about most other people.”

Noiz felt his heart sink when, even after hearing his addendum, Aoba continued to give him the same alarmed look. “Noiz… you can’t just make generalizations like that.”

“Why not?”

“Because people aren’t as bad as you think they are.”

Noiz raised a brow, immediately sniffing out the hypocrisy in Aoba’s words. “Isn’t that a generalization too?  Besides, you only say that because you haven’t actually met a lot of the bad people out there.” After visiting Aoba’s hometown, it was obvious to Noiz how much more sheltered Aoba was in comparison to him. Though Noiz was glad that his boyfriend was spared the ugliness of his own upbringing, a part of him believed, guiltily, that were Aoba thrown into a more poisonous environment, his optimism would almost certainly buckle under its influence.

Oblivious to Noiz’s concerns, Aoba replied, “I _have_ met a lot of bad people. But I don’t assume everyone I come across is like them. I get the feeling that you’ve just seen too much of the bad stuff and now you think the whole world is like that.”

Noiz’s features hardened as a sharp, acrid emotion began to smolder in his chest. “It’s not that simple,” he tersely responded, then flipped his textbook back open, hoping the conversation would end there. He could feel his heart begin to race, its beats unpleasantly loud. It was bewildering, being criticized like this.

Aoba bit his bottom lip, nibbling on it as he contemplated his next words. Even though he knew that he could end up hurting Noiz’s feelings, this issue was something that had been on his mind for a while now. He knew he needed to start voicing his thoughts before they piled up in his chest and turned into something worse.

Aoba reached across the table and covered Noiz’s hand with his palm, feeling him tense up in response to the sudden contact. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but it worries me that you think that way. You’re a good person, Noiz… I mean, I wouldn’t be dating you if you weren’t. But I just can’t accept your way of thinking.”

Noiz felt his chest clench painfully, as though someone had reached into him and squeezed a fist around his heart. What did those words mean? Was he saying that the two of them were incompatible? Did Aoba not want to date him anymore if he was incapable of changing?

Noiz’s mind went blank as one horrible thought consumed him:

Was Aoba rejecting him?

After the initial stab of pain, Noiz felt a surge of resentment take its place, the dark emotion flaring up inside him and overwhelming all else. Before he had the chance to rethink his words, Noiz snapped, “Well, I’m sorry I can’t be as naïve as you are.”

Noiz regretted the words the second they flew out of his mouth. It was a hollow insult, something said merely to hurt the other person—even though hurting Aoba was the last thing he wanted to do.

Aoba’s eyes widened. He withdrew the hand that had been holding his, as though Noiz’s words had physically wounded him. Without Aoba’s touch, all warmth on Noiz’s skin immediately fled, leaving him feeling cold and bare. “I’m not naïve,” Aoba said in a very small voice, almost more to himself than to Noiz.

Noiz stared hard at the ground, fingers tightly gripping the book in his lap. An unbearable silence hung between them. Aoba’s seeming unwillingness to pursue their conversation only exacerbated the many doubts now plaguing Noiz’s mind.

Acting on pure emotion, Noiz abruptly stood up, shoving all his things into his bag. “I’m heading back to the dorm.”

“Noiz…” Aoba’s mouth hung open, as though he were at a loss for words. He reached out his hand as if in attempt to grab hold of him, only for his arm to hover for a second before eventually retracting. Noiz grimaced; for some reason, seeing that only made him feel even angrier.

He was out the door a second later, his emotions in utter turmoil. Aoba’s criticism of him breathed life into a fear that Noiz had been secretly harboring ever since Aoba and him first begun dating: that once Aoba got to know him better, he would decide that he didn’t like him after all.

Just thinking of the mere possibility of it happening made Noiz’s throat constrict and his eyes water, and unearthed all sorts of ugly emotions that Noiz hadn’t felt since he was a child, emotions he thought himself no longer capable of feeling. He attempted to push such thoughts away, but the more he tried to forget about it, the more it pervaded his mind. His worries had so assailed him that he was unable to pay attention to a single one of his class lectures since their argument.

Though he still didn’t feel totally convinced about the supposed goodness of the world, it hardly mattered to Noiz now. If it was for Aoba, then he was more than willing to change. He would try his hardest to improve himself, to drain all the remaining traces of venom inside him that hadn’t been sucked out yet. He just needed to find some way to convince Aoba to give him another chance.

As though in answer to his plea, the door behind him swung open. Light flooded into the room from the doorway, illuminating a familiar outline. Noiz squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light and tried to identify the newcomer.

“Noiz-san! Why are all of the lights turned off??”

Noiz blinked. “Clear?”

—————

Clear hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. It swung open a moment later.

“Clear?” Koujaku asked with slightly raised brows. “What’s up?”

“Hello, Koujaku-san! Is Noiz-san here?” He peeked over Koujaku’s shoulder and waved at Mink, who was reading on his bed. Noiz’s corner of the room was empty.

“Nah, he hasn’t been here for the past couple hours. I’d guess he’s probably somewhere in the Math and Science Quad.”

“Oh…” Clear wondered if it would be worth his while to make the trek over to the Quad on the other side of campus. He was only acting based on a hunch, though he could think of few other explanations for Aoba’s gloomy disposition the past couple days.

As though reading his thoughts, Koujaku asked, “I probably shouldn’t pry but… did he and Aoba have a fight or something?”

Clear perked up. “Koujaku-san, you think so too? Aoba-san won’t say, but it’s really obvious that something is wrong!” Clear had noticed that aside from class, Aoba hadn’t been leaving the room very often as of late. One time Clear returned to the room to find Aoba asleep, the skin around his eyes red and puffy, as though he had been crying.

“Hmm…” Koujaku crossed his arms, then shrugged. “Well, if they did fight, it’s not exactly a surprise. The two of them are so different, after all.”

With a frown, Clear replied, “They might be different, but I think they’re still good for each other.”

Koujaku sent him an odd look. He shook his head and released a long breath. “I really don’t get what all of you guys see in that little punk. Frankly, I think he’s intolerable. Especially the past couple days.” Koujaku’s face twisted, as though he had taken a whiff of something foul. “Lately every word that comes out of the brat’s mouth is insulting or rude. And aside from the computer labs, he hardly leaves the room anymore, so now I have to see his sorry mug all day long. And he’s been eating so much pizza that Domino’s may as well brand their logo to his ass! And just yesterday…”

A smile spread across Clear’s lips as Koujaku continued to list all the things Noiz had recently done to annoy him. When he finally finished, Clear said, “Koujaku-san is very kind. You sound like you’re really worried about him!”

Koujaku’s eyes almost seemed to bulge out of his head in horror. A blush spread across his cheeks as he stuttered, “W-what?? Why would I be worried about that guy?!” He took a moment to collect himself before he cleared his throat and said, “Anyway, the Math building is the one on the far right side of the Quad. You’ll probably find him there. Though I’m amazed that anyone would want to talk to him!”

Clear was unable to suppress a short, teasing laugh. In response, Koujaku slammed the door in his face.

—————-

Noiz crossed his fingers in front of him as he finished recounting the event to Clear. It was surprisingly nice to finally share the experience with someone else; it felt like some of the tension unknotted in his chest.

Clear had remained quiet throughout, nodding occasionally to show he was still paying attention. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his chin on his palms as he contemplated their situation. “You know,” he said after some delay, “If you talk to Aoba-san, I’m sure the two of you would be able to work things out.”

Noiz shifted uncomfortably, the pads of his fingers unconsciously digging into the backs of his hands. “But what if he’s still angry with me?”

“I don’t think he is.”

Noiz looked away, peering down at the ground as he considered his options. “I still feel like I need to make it up to him somehow. I owe him that much, at least.”

Clear smiled, which only made Noiz feel more self-conscious. “That’s easy! Just do something nice for Aoba-san on Valentine’s Day.”

Noiz’s eyes snapped back to Clear, feeling them widen slightly at the suggestion. He had never paid much attention to the holiday in the past. Nervously, he asked, “What do people do on Valentine’s Day?”

“People usually give chocolates! Though it’s supposed to be the girls who do it… but since neither one of you is a girl, I guess it’s okay if either of you gives it?” Clear scratched his head. “Though if you want to make it more special, you could also go on a date or something.”

Noiz frowned. In the past, he had always let Aoba shoulder the responsibility of planning their dates. He was a little unsure of how to go about arranging one himself.

Noticing the change in his expression, Clear asked, “Do you not like that idea?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it.” Noiz looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed. “If you were the one planning the date, what would you do?”

“Me?” Clear paused, then apologetically admitted, “I don’t really know.” Clear tapped his fingers on the table sitting between the two of them as he thought it over. Just when the tapping sound was beginning to get on Noiz’s nerves, Clear suddenly froze, his eyes brightening. “I know! We can just ask Koujaku-san for advice!”

“Koujaku?” Noiz blanched. That was the last person he would ever consider asking help from.

“Yup! If we say it’s for Aoba-san, then he’s sure to help!”

Noiz was dubious, but as long as Clear would be the one asking, it was worth a shot. Feeling suddenly tired, he glanced at a clock on the wall across from him. 12 o’clock exactly.

He sighed. It was going to be a long night.

—————

Clear had been acting strange all day… or at least stranger than normal. He had returned to the room at a peculiarly late hour the night before. When Aoba asked him what he had been up to, Clear was evasive in answering.

Aoba was returning to the room from an early dinner, and through the door, he could hear Clear speaking with someone. Curious, he turned the doorknob and stepped into the room, only to jump slightly when Clear loudly yelped at the sight of him.

Clear gaped at Aoba with a panicked expression on his face, his cellphone pressed to his ear. When he recovered from his shock, he sputtered, “Aoba-san is here now so I have to go!” Then snapped his phone shut.

Aoba slowly closed the door behind him, making sure not to take his eyes off his roommate. It was obvious from the way Clear had ended his call that Aoba himself had likely been the topic under discussion. “Clear, is there… something going on?”

“No!” Clear immediately answered in a too-loud voice. “You have absolutely no reason to be suspicious!”

Clear clapped his hands over his mouth, as though he had said something he shouldn’t have. Aoba narrowed his eyes.

Just as Aoba opened his mouth to inquire further, more forcefully this time, Clear blurted out, “Something came up so I have to leave now BYE!” Then flew out the door before Aoba could stop him.

Aoba just stared at the door, feeling more than a little confused. He slumped over to his bed, scooping Ren up from the floor on the way over. He curled up on the mattress and kissed the puppy on the forehead, nuzzling its fur with his nose. “Ren, can you solve my relationship problems for me?”

Ren licked his cheek in response. Aoba gave Ren one last peck on the forehead, then groped the inside of his jacket pocket to contact his last remaining form of emotional support.

**To: Sei**

_Message_  
I hate myself.

Aoba buried his face in his pillow. This was pathetic.

His ringtone began playing a minute later.

“Aoba? Are you okay?” Sei asked through the speaker of the phone, worry evident in his voice.

“I’m… mostly okay. It’s just…” Aoba sighed. “Do you have a minute?”

Aoba spent the next few minutes recounting his last meeting with Noiz. When he finished, Sei said, “I don’t think you should beat yourself up over that. If it was something that bothered you so much, then it was bound to come out sooner or later.”

“Yeah, but I could’ve said it a lot better. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. I honestly just want him to be happy.” Aoba felt a familiar stinging at the corners of his eyes. He wiped the tears away before they had the chance to fall.

“Aoba, if you feel that way, then you should let him know.”

“But,” Aoba started, hating that his voice was beginning to crack a bit, “What if he still doesn’t want to talk to me?”

“You can’t just assume that! You have to at least try.” Aoba remained silent, still nervous at the prospect of Noiz giving him the cold shoulder. Sensing his lingering uncertainty, Sei continued, “Aoba, you only said all that stuff because you care about him. I’m sure that deep down Noiz knows that too. Just have a little faith.”

Aoba deliberated his brother’s suggestion a while longer before sighing in defeat. “You’re right. I’ll call him. But what should I say?”

—————

Noiz dumped the shopping bags onto the floor and tiredly flopped onto his bed. Koujaku entered the room one step behind him, looking at him with disgust. “Hey! Hang those clothes up before you go to sleep. And iron them before tomorrow night!”

Noiz glared. “Bitching about every little thing,” he muttered, but got up and did as he was told.

The two of them had just returned from their shopping trip in the city. To Noiz’s amazement, Clear had managed to convince both Koujaku and Mink to help him organize his date. Koujaku’s excuse had been that “without me, you two idiots are sure to mess it up somehow,” whereas Mink had merely shrugged and said, “If your relationship falls apart, it would be troublesome for me as well,” then sent pointed glances at both Clear and Koujaku.

All the preparations were nearly complete now. The only thing left was for Noiz to invite Aoba out. After putting his things away, Noiz reached into his pocket to grab his phone. His heart anxiously thudded in his chest as the highlight on his phone screen landed on the name Aoba. He hadn’t been able to figure out what to say, even after contemplating it all day, and now hoped the words would simply come to him. Just as he was about to hit the call button, his phone vibrated in his hand as a text alert popped onto the screen. His eyes widened when he spotted the name of the sender.

**From: Aoba**

_Message_  
Hey. Are you busy right now?

Noiz wasn’t sure how long he stared at the message. For a moment, he was nearly overtaken by the urge to text back a frenzied apology right then and there, but his own pride prevented him from acting on that impulse. His fingers hovered over the phone’s keyboard, attempting to compose the note in his head before typing the letters out. Finally frustrated by his own indecisiveness, he decided to write the first thing that came to mind.

**To: Aoba**

_Message_  
What’s up?

The second the message went through, Noiz immediately wished he could unsend it. He sat down at his desk and placed his phone onto the tabletop, eyes glued to the device as he waited for a response. He drew back a bit when the phone suddenly began ringing. Throwing a quick glance at Koujaku on his way out, he grabbed the phone and went out into the hallway before answering it.

“Hello? Noiz?”

Noiz felt his heart tug a bit at the sound of Aoba’s voice, so familiar and yet so strange to his ears, which had grown unaccustomed to it. It was a bit unsettling, how much differently time seemed to stretch when the two of them were parted.

“Hey.”

His short greeting was met with silence. Noiz’s heart fluttered uneasily in his chest as he waited for a response. A few seconds later, Aoba finally said, “It’s… really nice to hear your voice.”

Noiz’s eyes softened, though there was no one to observe him. It was nice, knowing their feelings were mutual. He barely caught the sound of Aoba’s breath hitching just before he went on to say, “Noiz… about last time…”

Afraid of what Aoba might say next, before he could stop himself, Noiz said, “I’m sorry.”

“Eh?”

 “I’m sorry,” he repeated, all other words failing him. This wasn’t going as smoothly as he had hoped.

Aoba fell silent once more. When he next spoke, his voice was quieter, and for some reason, tinged with a hint of guilt. “Why are you the one apologizing?”

Confused, Noiz replied, “Because our argument was my fault.”

Noiz felt even more confused when Aoba suddenly let out a soft, affectionate laugh. “You dummy. Stuff like this is never just one person’s fault.”

Though still perplexed as to the meaning behind Aoba’s words, Noiz seemed to smile automatically upon hearing Aoba’s laughter. It was yet another sound he had missed.

“That said,” Aoba continued, “I’m sorry too.”

The both of them fell quiet once more. Noiz closed his eyes and enjoyed the wave of relief that washed over him. In the back of his mind, Noiz realized that this was his first time ever apologizing to anyone.

“I want to see you.” It took a moment for Noiz to realize that he was the one who had spoken. “Are you in your room right now?”

“Ah… umm, yeah,” Aoba answered, sounding nervous.

“I’ll be up in a minute. Wait for me.”

Noiz had too much energy to wait for the elevator, and so opted to take the stairwell instead. Mere moments later, his feet carried him to Aoba’s door.

“Come in,” Aoba said from inside the room. After taking a deep breath, Noiz stepped inside.

Aoba was sitting at the foot of his bed, staring down at his hands. When he turned to look up at him, Noiz noticed bags under his eyes.

He frowned. “Aoba…”

Without warning, Aoba jumped off the bed and tackled Noiz in an embrace, the force of the hug knocking all the air out of him. Aoba buried his face into Noiz’s neck, his cheek caressing the skin there.

The two of them stayed like that for a long while, cherishing the feeling of holding the other in their arms. After a lengthy pause, Noiz mumbled, “I’m trying.” Aoba leaned back and looked him in the eyes. “I know it might not seem like it, but I really am trying to… be a better person.” Noiz swallowed, the simple reflex made suddenly difficult by the tightness of his throat.

“I know,” Aoba said, smiling sweetly. He leaned forward and gently kissed Noiz on the cheek. “You already _are_ a great person. I’m not trying to change you. I like you just the way you are.”

Noiz felt his chest tighten as a warm, slightly painful feeling overwhelmed him. No one had ever said those words to him, had ever offered him their full and unconditional acceptance, up until that moment. He let out a shuddered breath and murmured Aoba’s name in a voice just above a whisper, the word almost sounding like a moan. He caught Aoba’s lips, fiercely, his tongue forcing the other’s mouth open before fully burying himself inside him, claiming him. Aoba was already blushing when they parted and Noiz bent downwards, using tongue and teeth to mark the delicate skin of his neck. Noiz was acutely aware of the pounding of his heart and the hot blood rushing through his veins. He doubted he would be able to hold back now.

Betraying his own expectations, he drew back when Aoba said, voice choked with emotion, “I want to help you.” Aoba stared deep into Noiz’s eyes, his hands reaching up to cup his cheeks. “It’s like there’s some huge burden that you’ve been carrying all by yourself. But you’re not alone anymore.” Aoba shyly broke eye contact, his hands falling to Noiz’s shoulders. Quietly, he continued, “You have me now. So rely on me a little, okay?”

The cacophony of emotions inside Noiz clashed and mixed inside him, each little part slowly forming one red, beating whole. He raked his fingers through Aoba’s hair and kissed him on the forehead, smiling. “You’ve already given me so much. At this rate, you’ll have me in your debt my whole life.”

Aoba chuckled, his voice still sounding strained. “Buy me a nice dinner some time and I’ll call it even.”

His request reminded Noiz of why he had contacted Aoba in the first place. He mentally reprimanded himself for straying so far from his original purpose. He gave Aoba another quick kiss on the lips. “It’s settled, then. Meet me in the lobby at 6PM tomorrow night.” He smirked. “And wear something nice.”

Aoba blinked, startled by the sudden invitation. It was only then that Aoba remembered that tomorrow was Valentine’s Day.

—————

Aoba stepped out of the elevator and glanced around the lobby, searching for Noiz. He spotted him standing near the front doors—and the moment he laid eyes on him, his jaw dropped.

Noiz was wearing a three-piece ensemble. The bottommost layer was a long-sleeved white dress shirt, with the cuffs casually rolled up to expose his wrists. On top of it was a gray wool waistcoat with a low neckline, four black buttons dotting a line along the center. At the very top, he had layered on yet another vest, this one black, the flaps of the vest linked by a silver chain that stretched across the middle of his chest. The black vest matched nicely with his smart-fitting black dress pants. A black-and-gray striped tie completed the look, the tail end of it tucked neatly underneath the waistcoat.

In comparison to all that, Aoba himself looked like a total scrub in his white peacoat jacket and red corduroy jeans.

Noiz turned and noticed Aoba gaping at him from the elevator. He raised a brow, a small smirk already gracing his lips. “Are you okay?”

Aoba nodded absentmindedly, his eyes still roaming up-and-down his boyfriend’s outfit. “What… How… Where did you…”

Noiz somehow comprehended his stammering and sheepishly replied, “You’re not going to believe this, but Koujaku helped me pick this out.”

Aoba’s eyes widened. The look of shock on his face was quickly eclipsed by a grin. “Seriously?! Wait… does this mean you two are friends now?”

Noiz scowled. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

Aoba teasingly poked him in the ribs and Noiz swatted his hand away. Aoba appreciatively gave him another once-over, and only then did he notice that Noiz was fidgeting. Was he nervous?

Aoba  grabbed one of Noiz’s hands. Startled by the unexpected contact, Noiz reflexively tried to tug his hand out of his grasp, but relaxed once Aoba began using his thumb to rub soothing circles into his palm. Noiz smiled, both looking and feeling more self-assured.

“Let’s go,” he said and led them both out of the building.

—————

Noiz had made reservations for them at a fancy restaurant on the outskirts of campus, a place frequented by professors far more often than students. Aoba ended up having a lot of trouble deciphering the menu; all of the entrée names were written in the Roman alphabet and none of them had descriptions. Noiz ended up ordering for the both of them, and the dish he got for Aoba was some mystery item called “Boeuf Bourguignon.” When he asked Noiz what it was, he simply smirked and assured him he would like it.

When his food arrived, Aoba excitedly pointed at his plate and exclaimed, “It’s like beef curry!” which earned him a smile from Noiz and an upturned nose from the fancily-dressed middle-aged man in the table across from them.

Once Aoba had finished eating, he barely caught sight of Noiz discreetly making a hand signal to the waiter. The waiter returned to present Aoba with a three-tiered heart-shaped chocolate mousse cake. Placed along the border of the cake were at least a dozen truffles sprinkled with finely-diced nuts.

“It’s not quite a box of chocolates, but I hope it’ll do.” Noiz grasped Aoba’s hand underneath the table. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Aoba stared at the cake, practically devouring it with his eyes. It was normal for people to really dig into their wallets when buying their partner Valentine’s Day treats, but this seemed a bit _too_ much. “It’s so pretty. It’d be a shame to eat it.”

Despite what he had just said, Aoba picked a truffle up with his fork and popped it into his mouth. And then another. And then another. Within minutes, the truffles and the cake had all disappeared into Aoba’s stomach.

“I don’t know what happened,” Aoba said, looking guiltily at the empty plate as the waiter took it away. Noiz could only laugh.

Aoba assumed they would be heading back to the dorm after dinner, but instead Noiz led him even farther away from campus. After a short walk, they eventually found themselves scaling a small hill at a deserted, somewhat forested area some distance away from the campus.

“Close your eyes,” Noiz had instructed when they were at the foot of the hill, and since then, Noiz had been using their joined hands to carefully guide him up the slope. Noiz told him to keep his eyes closed even once they reached the hill’s summit. They walked for another minute or so before Noiz helped him lie down on the grass and finally allowed him to open his eyes.

Thousands of lights greeted him, the majestic sight spanning the entire breadth of his vision. It seemed to Aoba like every star in the universe was twinkling down on him that night, revealing themselves for that one night only. Aoba reached up and ran his fingers across the array of dots, as though he could feel the stars brush against his skin.

From somewhere beside him, he heard Noiz say, “Clear and Mink walked around the entire perimeter of the campus last night and they said this spot offered the best view of the sky.” After a brief pause, Noiz continued, “I remember when we first met, you mentioned how you once went stargazing with Sei, so… I just thought you might like something like this.”

Aoba smiled, pleasantly surprised that Noiz still remembered a small thing like that from so long ago. He felt Noiz lie down beside him, then sidle up closer to him until their bodies touched. Aoba lifted his waist slightly off the ground to allow Noiz to snake an arm underneath and around his middle. “I did some research on constellations yesterday. Some of it is actually pretty interesting. I could tell you about some of them, if you want.”

Noiz tried to sound nonchalant, as though he didn’t care either way, but it was obvious to Aoba that Noiz really wanted to tell him about it. Aoba cuddled up closer to Noiz, then nodded. Noiz used his free arm to envelop his hand around Aoba’s. He extended his pointer finger and asked for Aoba to do the same. With both their fingers, Noiz pointed to a particularly bright star near the center of their field of view and traced a crooked hourglass shape.

“That’s the basic shape of Orion,” Noiz explained. “This constellation can be seen all around the world and there are a lot of different interpretations of it. Though the most common one is that it depicts a hunter.”

He moved their hands to the right and traced a big “U” shape. “That’s Gemini. You can’t really tell when you’re looking at it like this, but it’s supposed to show a pair of twins.” He used their fingers to retrace the base of the “U” shape. “That’s where the twins’ hands are joined.”

Noiz continued to point out and trace the constellations visible to them. At some point, Aoba’s eyes drifted away from the night sky and instead fell upon the equally-dazzling view of Noiz’s face, the stars reflected in his eyes. It then dawned upon Aoba just how _perfect_ this all was, how perfectly happy he was to be here at this very moment, with this person at his side. His heart swelled and without realizing it, he squeezed Noiz’s hand, drawing his attention.

Noiz turned his head slightly towards him, their faces mere centimeters apart. His lips curved in a smile. “Hey. Are you even paying attention?”

Noiz’s expression grew more serious as Aoba untangled his hand from his and brought his fingers down to gently caress the curve of his jawline.

“Aoba?” Noiz asked, sounding more uncertain this time.

Aoba sat up, pulling Noiz up with him. He wrapped his arms around the back of Noiz’s neck and pressed their bodies close together, his lips gently kissing the outer shell of his earlobe. “I love you,” he whispered.

Aoba heard a sharp intake of breath. Then Noiz was so still that Aoba wondered if even his heart had paused its beating. Only then realizing what he just said, Aoba drew back, heat quickly spreading across his cheeks. “Y-You don’t have to say it back,” Aoba said, completely flustered. “It just sort of… came out.”

Noiz just continued to stare at him, seemingly paralyzed with shock. Aoba looked down at the grass, wishing he could bury his head underneath the dirt.

Then, as though suddenly regaining functioning in his brain, Noiz used his hands to grab his. Lifting both of Aoba’s hands by the fingertips, he brought them to his lips and tenderly kissed the knuckle of each finger. Aoba merely watched as he did it, his blush growing more heated with every kiss.

Noiz then brought his lips from Aoba’s fingers to his mouth. “I love you too,” he whispered when they parted. Aoba’s eyes began to well up with tears. Noiz kissed him once more and Aoba let his eyelids fall as a tear fell with them.

Aoba hastily wiped the tear streak off his face once he found the opportunity to. “Geez,” Aoba mumbled. “I’m such a sap.”

Noiz licked his lips and tasted hazelnut, a lingering remnant of the truffles Aoba had completely finished off earlier that night. Smirking, he gently elbowed Aoba on the arm and asked, “You didn’t tell me that you loved me just so that you can take advantage of me tonight, did you?”

Aoba sent him a mock glare. “Don’t ruin the moment, you brat.” Then, with a devilish little smirk of his own, he decided to catch Noiz off-guard by tackling him to the grass, capturing his lips in one of many kisses they would share that night.

—————

**OMAKE**

_One month later, on White Day_

Aoba shifted his weight from one foot to the other, restlessly biding his time as he waited for Noiz to come out from his Intermediate Logic class. He opened his bag and checked on his present, currently resting safely on top of his books. It had arrived in the mail the day before, in a small rectangular tin can that was perfect for keeping the chocolate’s unusual shape intact. Aoba made a mental note to thank his grandma the next time he called home.

The door across from him opened and a stream of students flooded out from the classroom. Aoba finally caught sight of Noiz a few seconds later. Noticing Aoba in return, he edged his way out of the crowd.

“This is a surprise,” Noiz said with a lifted brow. “Did you miss me so much after breakfast that you just had to see me again as soon as possible?”

Aoba huffed and tried to look cross. “Keeping making fun of me like that and you’re never getting the present inside my bag.”

“Oh?” Noiz smirked. “Returning my feelings, are you? So you really do love me after all.”

Embarrassed, Aoba muttered something under his breath, then opened his bag to grab his gift. He shoved the tin box into Noiz’s hands. Noiz didn’t hesitate for a single second before ripping the lid off.

His eyes widened at the contents. Nestled inside the box was a bunny-shaped chocolate. It took Noiz a few seconds to notice that the chocolate was a similar size and shape as his own pet bunny in Germany.

“I couldn’t find any good ones online, so I asked my grandma to make it,” Aoba explained. “And I made sure to request that she make it solid on the inside.”

Noiz stared at it for a few seconds longer, a smile creeping onto his lips.

Aoba cleared his throat. “So… do you like it?”

Noiz nodded, but then suddenly frowned. Worried, Aoba asked, “Is something wrong with it?”

Noiz shook his head. “No, it’s just…” He used his index finger to poke the chocolate bunny on the head. “Isn’t it too cute to eat?”

Aoba just stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. “You dork,” he said, then leaned in to kiss Noiz on the cheek. “Happy White Day, Noiz.”


	12. Vacation Abroad (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noiz behaves strangely after taking a phone call from home. Shortly afterwards, Aoba receives an unexpected offer.

Aoba lazily thumbed through the pages of his book, skimming the text. It was getting late and he still had another hundred pages left to read before the next morning. Earlier that night, Clear had holed himself up in one of the practice rooms in the Music Hall, presumably to keep Aoba from getting distracted while he used their room to study… not that he was using his time very productively now that a certain _somebody_ had invited himself into the room unannounced. Worse yet, said person was now very earnestly trying to engage Aoba in decidedly less wholesome activities.

Aoba shuddered as he felt a warm tongue trace the arch of his ear. He scooted away from the other man and rubbed the saliva off his skin, his glare dulled by the redness of his cheeks. “Seriously, Noiz, quit it. I have to read this!”

Ignoring his protests, Noiz reached across the mattress and pulled Aoba towards him once more. He planted a kiss on Aoba’s still-exposed ear and said, “Read if you want. I’m not stopping you.”

He then had the nerve to smirk, and the sight of it annoyed Aoba enough that he scooted away from him a second time. “No one would be able to concentrate with you kissing and licking them every five seconds! And I hope you know that the reason I’m so behind on my readings in the first place is because the two of us have been,” Aoba’s cheeks grew even redder, “…fooling around so much lately.”

Noiz turned on his side, propping his head up on his arm. “What if I just hold you? That should be okay, right?” He made a beckoning motion with his hand. Aoba stayed put, slitting his eyes in suspicion. “What? I promise I won’t bite.”

“I doubt that,” Aoba muttered, but moved closer anyways. He rolled over and lay on his back, resting his head on Noiz’s chest. Noiz wrapped his arms around him and leaned down to kiss him on the forehead. Aoba smiled; despite all his bellyaching, he really did find it cute that Noiz craved his attention so much.

The two of them laid there in comfortable silence. To Aoba’s surprise, he read through an entire chapter without a single interruption from Noiz. Just when Aoba convinced himself that Noiz must’ve fallen asleep, he felt a pair of hands slip underneath the hem of his shirt and caress his abdomen.

“Don’t you dare.” He craned his neck to glower at Noiz, who had his eyes closed. “I know you’re awake!”

The corner of Noiz’s lips twitched, his mask shattering completely as he broke into a laugh. Aoba hit him on the arm and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but Noiz tightened his hold over him, keeping him in place. Aoba groaned in exasperation, placing the opened book over his face.

“I’m going to fail all my classes because of you.”

With an amused smile, Noiz lifted the book off Aoba’s face and used his fingers to tilt his chin. Just as Noiz leaned in to kiss him once more, Noiz’s ringtone began playing from somewhere nearby. To Aoba’s surprise, Noiz stopped and sat up, releasing him from his embrace. He reached into his pocket to check his phone, and upon seeing the name on the screen, an alarmed expression flickered across his face.

“Sorry. I have to take this.” Noiz had already gotten off the bed and was moving towards the door.

“Ah… it’s okay.” It was unusual for Noiz to pay any attention to his phone while the two of them were together. Whatever it was, Aoba figured it must’ve been serious. “I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”

Noiz nodded absentmindedly and answered the call right as he shut the door. Though his voice was muffled through the walls, Aoba still caught the sound of Noiz saying something in German.

A few hours later, Aoba finished reading his book and Noiz still hadn’t returned. Though he told himself it was probably nothing, he couldn’t help but feel a little worried. It was unusual for Noiz to not follow up in any way. In an attempt to quell his growing anxiety, Aoba sent a quick text:

**To: Noiz**

_Message  
_ Hey, are you still awake? I’m done with the reading if you still wanna hang out.

Several minutes later, Aoba received Noiz’s curt response:

**From: Noiz**

_Message  
_ Something came up. Sorry.

Aoba frowned. Noiz’s reply did nothing to slake his curiosity. He sighed and collapsed back onto his bed, deciding to just sleep on it for now.

—————

Aoba felt something warm press against his back. His mind still sluggish, he reflexively tried to push whatever it was away from him. Then a very familiar voice whispered his name, robbing him of the ability to fall back asleep.

His eyes flew open. “Noiz?”

The room was pitch-black. He could feel Noiz’s arms hugging his waist, keeping their bodies close. A hot breath warmed the back of his neck. Aoba rubbed at his eyes, his mind struggling to make sense of his situation. “What are you doing here? What time is it?”

Noiz was silent at first. Just as Aoba opened his mouth to repeat his questions, Noiz finally answered, “I think it’s around 1AM.”

The mattress creaked softly as Aoba turned to face Noiz. Despite their proximity, the darkness hung so thick that he could only see the outline of Noiz’s face. He lifted his head and squinted, trying to peer at the bed on the other side of the room. “Is Clear back?” he whispered.

“Not yet. I texted him and he said he’ll still be gone for another hour or so.”

Aoba cuddled closer to Noiz and smiled as he felt the tips of Noiz’s hair tickle the underside of his chin. “Mmm. Your hair smells good,” Aoba sleepily murmured. He felt Noiz cling to him even more tightly, as though he were afraid that Aoba might disappear if he let go.

Feeling a prickle of worry resurface in his chest, Aoba gently pried Noiz’s arms away and took both his hands in his, laying gentle kisses along the backs of them. “Are you okay?”

It took a long moment for Noiz to respond, and when he did, the words were not what Aoba had been expecting.

“I love you.”

Aoba felt the heat rise instantly to his cheeks. The two of them had been saying it more often as of late, but that one little phrase still had a way of knocking him off-center. He always spoke of ‘love’ so easily in reference to his family, but it was obvious how much more meaning Noiz placed into the words. Sometimes Aoba got the feeling that he may in fact be the _only_ person who had ever said those words to Noiz, a thought that scared him somewhat.

When he failed to respond, Noiz’s fingers nervously played with a few loose strands of his long hair. “You love me too, don’t you?” Noiz asked, almost timidly.

Aoba’s heart squeezed painfully at the obvious vulnerability in Noiz’s voice. His hands reflexively shot up to cradle the back of Noiz’s head as he planted a soft kiss upon the other’s lips. “Of course I do.”

Noiz was on him the next second, his body hot and heavy, mouth trailing wet kisses along the curve of his jaw. Aoba let out a startled gasp as Noiz began tugging his shirt off, as though desperate for physical contact. It was strange for Noiz to be so hurried, to be so in need of reassurance. Although it was obvious something was wrong, Aoba decided to put all questions aside for a later time. For now, Aoba fully yielded to Noiz’s every touch, laying all parts of himself open and bare for this man that he loved so much.

Afterwards, as Noiz helped him back into his clothing, Aoba just barely heard him say, “Sorry for waking you up, by the way.”

Aoba snorted. “A little late for that, isn’t it?” Once fully-clothed, he tackled Noiz back onto the mattress, happily curling up against his side. The two of them stayed like that, quietly holding one another, until Clear returned a short while later. Noiz excused himself from the room then, but not before whispering, “I love you,” into Aoba’s ear and giving him one last good night kiss.

Once Noiz was out of earshot, Clear sent Aoba a wry grin and said, “Congratulations, Aoba-san!”

Aoba gave him an odd look. “For what?”

 “That was your first late-night booty call!”

Aoba’s jaw dropped. Had Clear overheard them?! The fact that he was congratulating Aoba so sincerely only made it all the more embarrassing. After a moment of stunned silence, Aoba finally managed to say, “Just… go to bed, Clear.”

Aoba sunk his head back down into his pillow and ignored the sound of Clear’s “ufufufu” laughter as he creeped back over to his own side of the room.

Well. He had to at least give Clear credit for not barging into the room while he and Noiz were right in the middle of it. With that final semi-positive thought, Aoba soon drifted back to sleep.

—————

Aoba was taking Ren out for a walk when he received a call from an unknown number. He usually ignored such calls, but on a whim, he decided to answer this one. A voice he didn’t recognize spoke to him from the other end of the line.

“Hello. Is this Seragaki Aoba-san?”

Figuring this guy was some telemarketer, Aoba wearily replied, “Speaking.”

The man released a relieved sigh. “It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, even if it’s just over the phone. This is Noiz’s brother, Klaus.”

Aoba froze. A million thoughts came rushing through his mind all at once, though one stood at the very pinnacle. “Noiz’s… brother?”

“He hasn’t mentioned me to you?” the man asked, voice tinged with the barest hint of disappointment. Aoba felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t meant to let that piece of information slip. Before he had the chance to answer, Klaus went on to say, “I suppose that’s to be expected. In any case, since my brother is intent on ignoring the issue, I felt obliged to seek you out myself. Are you able to speak right now? I only need a few minutes of your time.”

Now that Aoba was paying him more attention, he noted that Klaus spoke at a calm, deliberate pace. Though the pitch of their voices was similar, Klaus’s manner of speaking was completely different from Noiz’s; if he had to describe the difference in a word, Klaus sounded more refined.

Ren gave his leash a sharp tug, pulling Aoba from his thoughts. Clumsily, he responded, “A-ah, yeah! I can talk now!” He walked over to sit at a nearby bench, Ren jumping up to occupy the empty spot beside him.

“I heard you’ve been dating Noiz for about five months?”

“Yeah, though we’ve known each other since the beginning of the school year.”

Klaus paused before carefully stating, “Then I’m sure you’ve gathered by now that my family is not exactly… close to one another.”

Reluctantly, Aoba replied, “To be honest, I can’t really say. Noiz hasn’t told me much of anything about you guys.” Aoba bit his lip, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with his present circumstances. Though he was glad to finally have the opportunity to speak with one of Noiz’s family members, it unsettled him to know that he was likely doing so against Noiz’s will.

“Unfortunately, Noiz neglected to inform us about you as well. My parents and I just recently found out via a third party.”

Aoba wondered what, exactly, he meant by “third party.” He also only then thought to question how Klaus had obtained his cellphone number in the first place. Before he could ask either of his questions, Klaus put forth one of his own, “Now that we’re aware of one another, are you at all interested in meeting us?”

For a second, Aoba thought his heart might have flat-lined. “M-meeting you?” Aoba asked, not quite believing his ears. “Like… in person?”

“Yes,” Klaus answered, sounding slightly amused. “I know it’s very sudden of me to ask this, but seeing as how your relationship with Noiz appears to be quite serious, I think it would be best if you were introduced to the family as soon as possible.” After a brief pause, he added, “Though as you can imagine, Noiz strongly disagrees.”

Aoba fell silent, unsure of how to answer. Considering how little Noiz even mentioned his family, Aoba hadn’t given a single thought to the prospect of actually meeting them. All of this was just too much to take in at once.

Klaus seemed able to sense his uncertainty. “Don’t feel pressured to decide this very moment. You have the next three or so weeks to think it over. In the meantime, a plane ticket should arrive by mail within a few days time. I’ll leave it up to you whether to use it or not.”

Klaus then thanked him for his time and said goodbye. Aoba hung up and stared at his phone, his mind a total blank. He felt Ren paw at his leg and turned to look at him.

“Ren… What the heck should I do?”

—————

Aoba spent the next few days completely ignoring the dilemma that had been so unexpectedly dropped onto his lap. His inaction was partly due to pure disbelief; perhaps Noiz didn’t even have a brother and it was all some strange, cruel prank. Even if it was real, maybe Klaus’s package would get lost in the mail and save him from the burden of ever mentioning it to Noiz. But when the tickets arrived safely in his mail box as promised, Aoba knew this was a choice that he and Noiz had to make together.

Noiz was now sitting across from him, staring down at the plane tickets on the table between them, looking just as disconcerted as Aoba himself had felt a few days prior. Noiz had yet to speak a word since Aoba told him about Klaus’s phone call, and the silence was starting to make Aoba fret. Was Noiz upset that he hadn’t informed him about this sooner?

But when Noiz finally voiced his thoughts, he was surprisingly composed. “I can’t say I’m happy about this, but…” He glanced up at Aoba. “What do you think?”

“I’m not sure,” Aoba admitted. “But I do know I would be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about meeting your family. And it does bother me a little that I didn’t even know you had a brother until he called me up himself.”

A sharp emotion flickered across Noiz’s face, though it was gone before Aoba could put a name to it. “I’ve never really gotten along with my family, so I don’t talk about them much. It wasn’t my intention to keep them a secret from you or anything like that.”

Aoba smiled. He reached across the table to where Noiz’s hand sat, intertwining their fingers. “I know. But even if you don’t get along with your family, I would still like to know about them.”

Noiz looked down at their joined hands. Softly, he replied, “You might change your mind about that when you actually meet them. My parents are… pretty unpleasant people.”

Noiz sounded more hurt than angry, and hearing it made the corners of Aoba’s eyes sting, as though the pain were contagious. Keeping their fingers linked, Aoba stood up and moved to sit on the arm of Noiz’s chair. He let Noiz rest his head on his thigh and used his free hand to gently massage Noiz’s hair. “You can talk to me about the unpleasant stuff too, you know. I want for the two of us to share everything with each other, both the good and bad.”

For a few minutes, Aoba absentmindedly petted Noiz’s head, while Noiz simply sat there and enjoyed the feeling of it. After the short respite, Noiz heaved a sigh and muttered, “The moment after you meet my brother, I’m gonna kill him.”

Aoba laughed and pinched his boyfriend on the nose. “A brat like you should respect your elders.”

Noiz smacked his hand away. With an edge of irritation to his voice, he said, “Klaus is my _younger_ brother.”

Aoba’s eyes widened. “Seriously?!”

—————

Aoba entered his room to find Clear attempting to shove Mr. Jellyfish into his suitcase. “Just in case you get homesick when you’re in Germany!” Clear explained.

Amused, Aoba patted Mr. Jellyfish on the head before returning him to Clear’s bed. “Spring break is only a week long. That’s too short to get homesick.”

Clear pouted. “Even if it’s only a week, Ren and I will definitely still miss you.” As if in agreement with Clear, Ren stepped out from underneath Aoba’s bed and let out a whine.

There was a knock on the door and all three of them turned to look at it at the same time. From outside, they heard a familiar voice yell, “Oi, Aoba! You haven’t left yet, have you?”

“Koujaku!” Grinning, Aoba ran to the door and swung it open. Both Koujaku and Mink were standing in the hallway. Aoba immediately noticed that Mink was carrying a bundle of items in his arms. Without explanation, Mink picked out an item near the top of the pile and handed it to him.

“That’s a converter. The electrical outlets are shaped differently in Germany, so you’ll need that to use any Japanese electronics.” He then handed him a thick paperback book. “A German-Japanese dictionary.” The next item was a thin envelope. “An international calling card.”

Mink continued to hand him gift after gift. Once Mink had safely transferred all the objects to Aoba, he simply said, “Good luck,” then left without another word.

“Thank you!” Aoba yelled to his retreating back.

Koujaku and Clear had wordlessly watched the whole exchange from inside the room.

“That was very kind of him!” Clear said with an approving nod.

Koujaku shrugged. “I honestly have no idea how he even got half of that stuff.”

After some pleading from Aoba, Koujaku and Clear both helped him make room in his luggage for the new items. Koujaku picked up the dictionary, flipping through the pages with curiosity. “Germany, huh? Are you excited? This’ll be your first time on a plane, after all.”

Aoba sighed. “Right now, I just feel nervous. This is all happening so suddenly.”

Koujaku reached over to pat him on the shoulder, smiling. “I’m sure everything will turn out fine. And at least that punk will be with you the whole time.”

Aoba chuckled. Though Koujaku still complained about Noiz constantly, it seemed to Aoba that the bad blood between them was finally beginning to simmer down. On the best of days, the two of them almost seemed to get along.

Then, as though in a deliberate attempt to sabotage Koujaku’s budding goodwill, Clear abruptly asked, “Are Aoba-san and Noiz-san going to sleep in the same room like a married couple?”

“Clear!” Aoba said in an admonishing tone. He glanced at Koujaku, whose whole face was red in either embarrassment or outrage.

“O-of course they’ll be in different rooms!” Koujaku sputtered. “It’s a house, not a love hotel!” Koujaku muttered something under his breath and started shoving things into Aoba’s suitcase with more force than necessary.

Aoba sighed. So much for the two of them becoming friends.

—————

Their flight from Tokyo to Munich departed a little before noon. Though the flight was almost twelve hours long, due to time difference, it would still be early evening when they arrived. Aoba knew he would never forget the feeling that rushed through him when the plane first lifted off ground, the way that gravity seemed to turn and tilt.

Though Aoba was meant to sit closer to the aisle, Noiz offered to switch with him so that he would get the window seat. Aoba was glued to the window throughout the entire first hour of the flight. He chattered to Noiz about how tiny the houses looked, even smaller than the smallest pebbles, how the clouds looked just like thick fog when the plane flew through them, how the sky was sometimes much bluer from above the clouds than below. Though none of this was news to Noiz, he indulged Aoba, smiling and nodding at his every observation.

Once Aoba was somewhat less delighted by the view the window offered him, he instead turned his attention to the small screen embedded into the back side of the seat in front of him. He spent most of the remainder of the flight watching movies and tv shows with Noiz, who added his own snarky commentary throughout much of it.

Aoba ended up dozing off in the middle of the last movie they watched, and he only awoke once the plane’s wheels roughly bumped against solid ground.

“We’re already here?” Aoba asked, somewhat bewildered.

Noiz smiled. “Yeah. My brother knows our arrival time, so we’ll probably meet him inside.”

Several minutes later, the both of them were hauling their luggage through the airport. Aoba nervously glanced around as Noiz guided him through the wide hallways, feeling a bit like he had just stepped onto an alien planet. All of the text around him was in either English or German. Aoba’s English was only good enough that he could decipher simple signs like “bathroom” or “exit,” and worse yet, he couldn’t understand a single word of German. Aoba was suddenly very grateful for the dictionary he had stowed away in his backpack.

As they made their way to the end of the arrivals hall, Aoba took note of a huge crowd of people hovering around the exit, many of whom were carrying signs that presumably had people’s names written on them. Noiz stopped and scanned the crowd, his brows lifting slightly once he spotted a face he recognized.

“There he is.”

Aoba thought he was looking at the wrong person, until the person met his gaze and waved the both of them over. Noiz’s brother didn’t simply sound older, but he looked older too. Not only was he wearing a designer black business suit that surely added a few years to his appearance, but he was also at least a few inches taller than Noiz. He had short, well-groomed chestnut brown hair that was neatly parted down the middle. Even his facial structure was different from Noiz’s: his face looked leaner and his jawline was more prominent. The only physical similarity they seemed to share was the green color of their eyes.

Once they were close enough to hear each other’s voices, Klaus said something to Noiz in German. Whatever he said seemed to irritate Noiz, as he immediately snapped back in Japanese, “Don’t say that. And don’t speak in German when Aoba’s around.”

Klaus turned to Aoba then, offering his hand.“Hello, Aoba,” he said, switching to Japanese. “It’s nice to meet you, in person this time.”

“Ah… yes, it’s nice to meet you too.” Aoba just stared at his hand for a few seconds before remembering that he was supposed to shake it.

Klaus laughed. “I forgot. Handshakes are a Western thing, aren’t they?” He offered to help Aoba with his luggage, and then the three of them headed to the parking garage. Turning slightly towards Noiz, Klaus said, “Since we have a visitor, Dieter insisted that I take the Landaulet.”

Noiz scoffed and rolled his eyes. “At least there’ll be room for our luggage.”

Once Klaus had walked a safe distance ahead of them, Aoba leaned towards Noiz and asked, “Just wondering… what did your brother say to you when he first saw us?”

Noiz paused to think, then smiled bitterly upon remembering. “He said _willkommen zuhause_. It means ‘welcome home.’”


	13. Vacation Abroad (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba travels to Germany and meets Noiz’s family.

Aoba had already felt out-of-place at the airport, but the ride back to Noiz’s house was even more surreal. The car Klaus led them to was the weirdest, flashiest vehicle he had ever seen. The windshield and the windows of the driver and front passenger seats were all tinted black. Another tinted window stretched across the interior of the car, partitioning the driver from the passengers. There were two rows of roomy leather seats in the back, both rows facing one another.

Once they were all comfortably settled, Klaus offered the two of them drinks from a built-in mini-fridge beneath the armrest of his seat, which Aoba politely declined. Throughout the ride, Klaus showed off the car’s features like an overeager salesman: the television screens embedded into the wall space above their heads, the foldable glass trays that swung out from the sides, and most impressively, the retractable roof, which opened from the partition and folded like an accordion behind the backmost seats.

Aoba nodded blankly throughout the demonstration. Just having the opportunity to ride in a normal car was notable for him, much less riding in the spaceship he was currently in. How did cars like this even exist? Aoba snuck a peek at Noiz, who was in the seat next to him, staring up at the now-exposed sky with a blank expression. Aoba reached over the hand rest and groped blindly until he felt skin brush against skin. Noiz’s eyes widened at the sudden contact, and then softened upon seeing Aoba’s hand on his. He turned his hand over until his palm faced upwards and linked their fingers.

Aoba tried to ask him a question, but Noiz was unable to hear him over the wind whipping at their ears. Noiz sent a sharp glance at Klaus and said in a louder voice than normal, “Close the roof already! We have to yell just to hear each other!”

With a disappointed frown, Klaus obeyed his brother’s order and pressed a button on the remote sitting on the empty chair next to him. Once they were safely ensconced in the car, Aoba asked, “How long till we arrive?”

“We should be there in a short while,” Klaus answered, “Our house isn’t too far from the airport. Grünwald is just a couple miles away from where we are now, and from there, it’s only about a ten-minute drive.”

True to his words, they soon turned off the highway into a quiet residential area. Aoba’s jaw dropped at the lavish houses that passed by his window. Each one was at least the size of two or three normal homes and all were designed to look unique from the rest. Beyond the bars of the front gates, Aoba discovered meticulously arranged gardens, cobblestone pathways, gazebos, and even small ponds. He had never seen houses like these ones anywhere in his hometown or even in Tokyo.

Klaus leaned towards the window to his left and pointed at something in the distance. “Do you see that large structure surrounded by forest all the way in the back?”

Aoba squinted and nodded upon catching sight of it.

“That’s Grünwald Castle. We have the perfect view of it from one of the rooms of our house.”

Aoba gasped, his face lighting up in excitement. “There’s a castle here?!”

 “The castle is what this area is best known for. Though you’ll be disappointed if you expect it to be anything like the castles in the Disney movies.”

Aoba pouted, but quickly responded. “Of course I didn’t think that,” he lied, which garnered him knowing smiles from both Klaus and Noiz.

A few minutes later, Aoba noticed that the area around them was starting to become more densely wooded. The houses they now passed were even larger and more extravagant than the ones before, giving Aoba the impression that this particular block was where the richer families lived. The car suddenly took a sharp turn into a narrow road. They soon came upon a large black gate with double doors that barred the street. After a brief wait, the doors soundlessly opened, permitting them entrance.

The car slowly made its way down the wide, straight path that lay beyond the entrance, well-manicured grass bordering them on both sides. Tall fences sectioned the compound off from the surrounding forest.

Aoba pressed his face so close to the glass that the tip of his nose flattened against it. “What is this place?” Aoba asked, aghast at how huge the house’s front yard was—if it could even be called that.

“Hell,” Noiz dryly replied.

Klaus let out a small, exasperated sigh as he reached for the remote beside him. To Noiz’s chagrin, Klaus collapsed the roof once more to allow Aoba a full view of the premises.  About half a mile from the front gate stood the house, which to Aoba looked more like a pristine-white palace. The main building looked about four-stories high, with a balcony on the top floor that spanned the entire width of the house. The balcony was held up by tall white pillars that cast long shadows across the walkway behind them. On both sides of the main building were two smaller buildings that resembled the more modest-sized houses near the entrance of the town.

A circular water fountain sat directly in front of the house, with a statue jutting out from the stone base at the very center. The statue was of some odd-looking bird with a disproportionately small body in the shape of a candle flame, a pointed beak, and an elongated neck curved into an S-shape. Once they were closer, Aoba realized that the statue depicted a second animal: a furry creature with long almond-shaped ears that lay limp in-between the bird’s beak. Before Aoba could identify the bird’s prey, the car turned away from the front of the house and instead drove along a corridor to the side.

“We’ll be entering the house from the west-side garage,” Klaus explained. “It’ll be more convenient to enter from there, since your room is right above the garage.” Seemingly as an afterthought, Klaus added, “Noiz’s room is just down the hall from yours.”

Noiz smirked. “It’s the room right next to mine, to be specific.” He leered at Aoba, who gave him a sour look in response.

After being escorted out of the car, the three of them immediately headed for the guest room that had been prepared for Aoba. After scaling a couple flights of stairs, Klaus pointed him towards a door that was hidden in a nook at the end of the hallway. Though he felt he should have expected it by now, Aoba still felt blown away by how extravagant his room was. It looked more like a hotel suite than a bedroom: red velvet furnishings with golden lining, a king-sized bed with gold-colored translucent drapes, and one large rectangular window that overlooked the expansive front courtyard. Aoba snuck a peek into the private bathroom slightly off to the side and spotted what looked like a Jacuzzi. He unconsciously glanced at Noiz, who noticed what he had been looking at and was now sending him the same perverted leer from earlier.

Aoba blushed and looked away. Under his breath, he muttered, “I know what you’re thinking, you brat.”

 “Do you?” Noiz curled an arm around the back of his waist.

Aoba tried to look annoyed, but was unable to suppress a small smile. “Definitely.”

Noiz bowed his head slightly and laid several wet kisses on the side of his neck, eliciting a quiet giggle from Aoba as his lips tickled his skin. From behind them, Aoba heard Klaus politely clear his throat and he took a step away from Noiz, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Klaus deliberately turned his face away from them, a small smile on his lips. “Sorry to interrupt, but Noiz and I have some business to attend to.” He then looked directly at Noiz and said, “I’ll meet you downstairs in a few minutes.”

After Klaus exited the room, Aoba turned to Noiz and asked, “You guys are leaving?”

“We have to run a few errands before our father returns home tomorrow.” Noiz clicked his tongue in annoyance, as though the mere thought of it upset him. His expression softened as his gaze met Aoba’s once more. “If you need anything while we’re gone, ask for a maid named Anneliese. Her Japanese is the best out of everyone in the staff. And the kitchen is to the right of the foyer if you get hungry. The chef there can cook Japanese food, so request whatever you want. We’ll probably be back in a few hours.” Aoba nodded and Noiz gave him a quick goodbye kiss before making his way out.

Aoba peered at the clock on the wall. It read 5PM, but his body told him it was much later at night in Japan. Though he felt tired enough to fall asleep right then and there, he was also more than a little curious about exploring the enormous house. He left his room and made his way back to the first floor. He found the kitchen Noiz had mentioned and a dining room with a long table fit to serve at least ten people. Aoba later found a recreation room with a billiards table and mini-bar, a personal gym, a library, and an indoor garden—all on the first floor alone.

As he wandered around, a servant would occasionally pass him by. Though a few flat-out ignored him, most smiled and waved. At one point, a maid with long, wavy orange hair and a pink, youthful complexion suddenly jogged towards him from the other end of a hallway. Aoba’s eyes widened when the girl greeted him in Japanese.

“Are you Anneliese?” Aoba asked.

“Feel free to call me Anne,” she replied with a bow. “Is there anything you need assistance with?”

“Not particularly,” Aoba said, but then remembered something Klaus mentioned earlier. “Actually, there is one thing…” Anne gave him an encouraging nod and he continued, “Klaus told me that there’s one room that has a really good view of the town castle.”

 “That room is on the east wing of the third floor. I could show you to it if you’d like, though it will take a few minutes to walk there from here.”

Aoba nodded and Anne led him back to the main staircase. As they made their way through the house, Anne described each room they passed with the skill of a professional tour guide. Her Japanese was noticeably accented, but she spoke slowly and carefully to ensure that Aoba could understand her. Several minutes later, Anne opened a door at the very end of a narrow side corridor.

The room’s only furniture were two plush armchairs separated by a small circular table. Both chairs faced the tall two-panel windows on the wall across from them. Though the castle was still some distance away, it was easily distinguishable from the forest surrounding it. Klaus was right; it looked nothing like he thought it would. It was long, flat, and narrow, with brown shingled roofs and peach-colored walls. The castle itself wasn’t much bigger than the gate wall at its front. Aoba frowned; he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Anne inquired, distracting Aoba from his thoughts. “Is the young master happy in Japan?”

“You mean Noiz?”

Anne nodded. Aoba paused to think for a moment before answering. “The only one who can say for sure is Noiz himself but… he seems happy. I like to think he is.”

Anne smiled. She took a step closer to the window and joined Aoba in peering down at the castle. “Yes, I think so too. The young master did not have many friends growing up. But the fact that you are here must mean that things are different for him over there.”

Aoba tore his gaze from the view outside and stared at Anne instead. He could sense a deeper meaning to her words. “It’s obvious that Noiz hates being here. But is it really all that bad? I mean, from what I’ve seen, this house is the _real_ castle. Most of the servants seem nice, and he gets along with Klaus. It’s true that Noiz doesn’t speak well of his parents, but does he really hate them that much?”

Anne said nothing for a long while. When she finally spoke again, her voice was hushed, as though she were whispering a secret. “Not all things are as they appear. No matter what their father says to you tomorrow, do not be fooled into thinking that he treats the young masters well.”

Aoba drew back, unsettled by Anne’s words. Before the warning could fully sink in, a faint echo drifted from the hallway and through the open door of the room.

“The young masters have returned,” Anne noted. She gestured for Aoba to exit the room before her, and then directed him back to the main hallway. Soon afterwards, they spotted Noiz and Klaus at the far end of the hall. Noiz was speaking to Klaus in German, though he ceased paying attention to their conversation once he observed Aoba heading towards them. Noiz reached out and clasped Aoba’s hand, gently pulling him in to close the remaining distance.

“You look tired,” Noiz remarked with a smile.

Aoba rubbed his eyes with this free hand. “I guess I’m a little sleepy.”

“I imagine it will take another day or two for you to adjust to this time zone,” said Klaus. “For now, it’s probably best that you retire for the night.” He said good night to the both of them and turned towards the stairwell.

Before Klaus had the chance to leave, Aoba gathered his courage and said, “A-auf wiedersehen!”

Klaus whipped back around and batted his eyelashes in surprise. But his shock soon gave way as a warm smile spread across his lips. “Auf wiedersehen, Aoba,” he replied, then turned back around and began descending the stairs. Anne chose that moment to excuse herself as well, and Aoba also greeted her good night in German, his words sounding more confident the second time around.

Aoba noticed Noiz smiling at him once the other two had left. “Your accent is cute.”

Aoba pouted and weakly elbowed Noiz on the stomach. “I’m trying, okay. Don’t tease me.”

“I’m not.” Noiz bent forward and pecked him on the cheek. Aoba felt his skin heat up where Noiz had kissed him and looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Aoba only then realized that Noiz was carrying a shopping bag in the hand that wasn’t holding his. He peeked at its contents and saw what looked like colored wooden blocks.

Aoba pointed at the bag. “Is that a toy?”

“Yeah. It’s for Lulu.”

“Lulu?”

Noiz tugged on his hand and led him to a door a little further down the hall. The first thing Aoba took note of was a metal cage resting atop a tall set of drawers that was pushed against the wall opposite from them.

Noiz nodded in the direction of the cage. “Lulu.”

Aoba was forced to crane his neck upwards in order to see the inside of the cage. A familiar rabbit stared back at him… or at least he _thought_ it looked familiar. The rabbit of Aoba’s memories was much thinner than the chubby ball of fluff he was looking at now.

Cautiously, Aoba asked, “Did she… gain a little weight?”

Noiz snorted then dropped a green wooden block into Lulu’s cage. “The maids overfed her while I was gone, so she got fat. Hopefully these toys will get her to exercise more.”

Aoba couldn’t help it; he covered his mouth as he attempted to stifle a laugh.

“Hey.” The corner of Noiz’s lip curved in amusement. “Don’t mock her. By the end of the week, she’ll be even skinnier than you.”

Noiz dropped a couple more toys into the cage and put the rest away in a drawer. As Noiz busied himself, Aoba stole a glimpse around his room. In comparison to the grandeur of his guest room, Noiz’s room was much more barren. Aside from the drawer, there was a large bed with normal cotton-white linen, a plain wooden desk and armchair, and a mostly-empty walk-in closet. Aoba figured that most of Noiz’s belongings moved with him to the dorms at Toue, but he still felt a bit unnerved by the room’s utter lack of character. It was as though no one had ever even lived in the room.

“Are you already asleep?” Noiz waved a hand in front of his face.

Aoba blinked, jolted from his brooding. “Ah, sorry.  Spaced out for a second.”

Noiz flopped onto his bed, letting out a soft moan as he stretched. His eyes lit up and he suddenly raised himself into a sitting position. “I got some good news today.”

Aoba raised a brow. “Oh?”

“When I was out with Klaus, we took a quick visit to our family’s doctor. He did a thorough check up and said I’m all clear.” Noiz grinned at him rather lecherously as he went on to say, “Which means we can start having sex without a condom.”

Aoba felt his face flush immediately. “G-geez! This is your parents’ house! What are you thinking?!”

“The walls of all the bedrooms are completely soundproof, so no one would even know. And those parents you speak of are rarely ever home anyway.” When Aoba still did not appear convinced, Noiz added, “Considering that we’ll be around each other pretty much all the time, do you really want to go this entire week without having sex at all?”

“I didn’t say that,” Aoba replied with a huff. “Let’s at least lay off for tonight, okay? I’m really tired.”

“Then come to bed.” Noiz lay back down on the mattress and patted the empty spot next to him.

Aoba eyed him with suspicion. “I was planning to go back to my own room.”

“This bed has space enough for two.”

After a bit more coaxing from Noiz, Aoba reluctantly approached the bed, his body filling up the empty half. Noiz pulled him into a hug, the top of Aoba’s head fitting snugly beneath Noiz’s chin. “I’m really glad you’re here with me,” Noiz murmured.

Aoba smiled and kissed Noiz on his collarbone. “I am too.”

—————

When Aoba woke up the next morning, the sun had already risen so high in the sky that its rays illuminated every corner of Noiz’s bedroom. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Aoba found Noiz in the kitchen munching on a roll of bread and what looked like a couple short stacks of thin cheese slices.

Noiz perked up upon seeing him. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

“You could have woken me up, you know,” Aoba said with a slight whine in his voice. He grabbed a crescent-shaped roll from a bowl on the counter and tentatively nibbled it. His eyes widened. The bread was crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside. Wisps of steam rose from where his teeth had ripped away the crust. He took another bite, this one much larger than the first.

“What kind of bread is this?” Aoba asked, his mouth still full. “It’s really good.”

“It’s called _milchhörnchen_. And yeah, German bread is supposedly famous or something,” Noiz shrugged, “It all tastes the same to me.”

In just a few bites, Aoba finished off the rest of the roll. He then took another, which he ate just as quickly as he did the first.

Noiz watched with amusement as Aoba gorged on the rapidly shrinking pile of bread. “I often wonder where all that food goes.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Aoba retorted. He stuffed another roll into his mouth, this time stealing a piece of cheese from Noiz’s plate to eat along with it. “You’re the one who devoured all of my grandma’s doughnuts each time she made a batch. So now I’m going to eat all your bread.”

Instead of responding, Noiz rested his head on his arm and silently watched Aoba eat. He had a warm look in his eyes that made Aoba feel self-conscious, as though Noiz was observing his every movement.

“What is it?” Aoba meekly asked.

Noiz gestured for Aoba to come closer. Once Aoba was right beside his chair, Noiz embraced him around the middle and pressed his forehead against his stomach.

Aoba frowned, concerned by his odd behavior. “Are you okay?”

He lolled his head back to look Aoba in the face. With a smile, he replied, “Yeah. I’m better than okay.”

Aoba smiled in return and bent down to kiss him on the forehead. He regretted it a moment later when Noiz suddenly lurched forward and took a large bite out of the bread in Aoba’s hand.

“Hey!”

Aoba got his revenge by confiscating both the bread bowl and the plate of cheese, and held the food hostage on the other side of the kitchen. Before Noiz could retaliate, Klaus entered from the foyer.

He raised his brows upon seeing Aoba with the bread in one arm and the cheese in the other. “Wow. You must be hungry.”

Noiz snickered and Aoba returned the food to the counter, embarrassed. “Have you eaten yet?” Aoba asked Klaus, practically shoving the platters towards him.

“I’m fine.” Klaus smiled at Aoba, though it appeared more strained than usual. Noiz seemed to note the difference as well. He leaned against the counter and fixed his brother with a serious expression.

“Any news?” Noiz asked.

“I just talked to Dieter, who informed me that there was a slight change of plans. The plane from Hamburg will be departing a couple hours earlier than originally scheduled. They’ll likely arrive around dinner time.”

Noiz stiffened. “They?”

Klaus hesitated for a moment, the words stuck in his throat. He swallowed and stared Noiz straight in the eye.

“Mother will be accompanying him.”

—————

For the rest of the afternoon, the servants were all bustling about the mansion in preparation for their masters’ imminent return. As the hours ticked by, Klaus kept Noiz regularly updated on their parents’ whereabouts. The closer his parents got, the more apprehensive Noiz became. Aoba managed to distract him for a couple hours by dragging him to the library and demanding an impromptu German lesson. Noiz was attempting to teach Aoba German curse words, much to the latter’s annoyance, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Klaus poked his head into the room. He wordlessly glanced at Noiz, who immediately understood his unspoken message. “How long?” Noiz asked.

“They left the airport a little while ago, so I’d guess about ten more minutes.”

Noiz stood from his chair, and then took Aoba’s hand and helped him stand as well. Their fingers remained interlinked as they made their way out of the building, Noiz’s grip much tighter than normal. Aoba caressed the back of his hand with his thumb, but even that failed to relax him.

Out in the front courtyard, the servants were all lined up in a semi-circle around the fountain. Klaus stood several paces in front of everyone, facing the gate. As though sensing their eyes on his back, Klaus turned and beckoned for the two of them to join him.

“Don’t be nervous,” Klaus whispered as they took their places beside him. Whether the words were directed at Noiz or himself, Aoba wasn’t certain.

A few minutes later, the front gates parted as a car approached the premises. It was the same strange vehicle that Aoba had ridden in the previous day. This time, the car headed straight for the main entrance, stopping just a stone’s throw away from where they stood. Aoba held his breath as the door closest to him swung open.

His very first impression was that Klaus obviously took after his father. Aside from sharing the same hair color, Klaus’s features were a softer version of his father’s, whose narrow face and stern jaw gave Aoba the impression that he was quite severe. After giving the three of them a sharp nod of acknowledgment, he turned back towards the car and helped a second person out from the backseat.

Underneath the car door, Aoba saw black heels and thin, curvy legs sheathed in black nylon. The breeze swept through her long blonde hair, carrying with it a faint floral scent. Judging by appearances, Aoba would have guessed that she was much younger than her husband. A lone wrinkle betrayed the truth of her age, the thin line marking the curve of her cheek. She flattened the bumps from her tight-fitting red dress and tugged on both sleeves to straighten the cuffs of her crisp white business jacket before approaching them with a dignified gait, her husband at her heel.

She sent a cursory glance at Klaus, who merely stared straight ahead, emotionless. She instead focused her attention on Noiz, who overtly glowered at his mother, his lips twisted downwards in a heated grimace. She said a few words to him in German, which Noiz countered with an angrily muttered response.

She then half-turned towards Aoba. He felt himself automatically freeze under her gaze. In the back of his mind, he noted that her eyes were the same shade of green as her sons’.

“You must be Aoba,” she said in accented Japanese. “Have you been enjoying your stay in Germany?”

“Yes. Your home is very beautiful.” Aoba’s voice was a pitch higher than normal. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than Aoba felt comfortable with. Finally, she walked past to address the servants behind him, barking out orders in German. As the servants all scattered back inside the mansion, she looked at him from over her shoulder and asked, “You’ll be joining us for dinner, yes?”

Before waiting for his response, she turned back towards the front door and ascended the steps leading up to it. As the rest of them followed her lead, Aoba felt Noiz grab his hand once more. With a smile, he gave it a light, reassuring squeeze.

They shuffled into the dining room and wordlessly settled into their seats. Aoba thought it odd how somber the mood was. Even Klaus, who to Aoba radiated nothing but warmth and positivity, now appeared serious and subdued. His father, who sat at one end of the long rectangular table, was staring down at his folded hands, possibly lost in thought. Noiz sat in the seat next to Aoba, tense as ever, and his mother took the seat opposite her husband.

Seconds later, several servants emerged from the kitchen adjacent to them carrying platters filled with sliced bread loaves, rolls of different shapes and sizes, pretzels, and various meats. Aoba took several bread rolls, as well as a sizable portion of braised ham and meatloaf. His fork hovered over a plate full of suspiciously white-colored sausage links.

Klaus, who had yet to utter a single word since his parents arrived, startled Aoba by saying, “They’re called _weisswurst_. You should try one.”

Aoba stabbed a sausage with his fork and dropped it onto the top of his rather tall food pile.  With a frown, Aoba noticed that Klaus and Noiz were eating comparably very little. The room was silent for several minutes, punctuated only by the occasional dull clink of silverware against ceramic. Aoba’s stomach was already feeling slightly bloated by the time the mother interrupted the meal to ask him a question.

“Is this your first time in Germany?”

Aoba paused to swallow the food in his mouth before answering. “Yes. This is actually my first time outside of Japan.”

It was the father who spoke next. “Do you live in Tokyo?” he asked in perfect Japanese.

Aoba felt his chest clench in anxiety. Though he felt guilty for thinking it, his home was so small and drab in comparison to the palace he was in now. He felt like a fish out of water, gasping for some form of comfort and familiarity.

“No,” Aoba timidly answered. “I’m actually from a really small town in Aomori prefecture.”

The father nodded and preoccupied himself with his food, seemingly losing interest. A few more minutes passed before the mother then said, “I assume you are a freshman at Toue University.”

“Ah… yeah. Same as Noiz.”

“What are you majoring in?”

Aoba broke into a cold sweat. This was starting to feel like an interview gone horribly wrong. “I haven’t chosen a major yet. Though I’m taking a bunch of Social Science classes, so probably something in that department.”

After a lengthy pause, she replied, “Toue University is a good school. I’m sure that whatever you choose, you’ll learn plenty.”

Aoba nodded in agreement, and then fell quiet once more. As he picked off the remaining scraps of food on his plate, his eyes drifted towards Noiz, who had his arms crossed and brows drawn together. Noiz hadn’t moved an inch throughout the entire exchange between him and his parents.

Once Aoba had cleaned his plate, the mother clapped twice and summoned the servants from the kitchen. As they retrieved the plates from the table, she addressed Aoba once more. “Aoba, my husband and I need to have a talk with our sons. In the meantime, our maid Anneliese will accompany you to wherever you wish to go.”

Aoba gaped, confused by the sudden hinted suggestion. “You… want me to leave the house?”

She smiled, her lips parting just enough to show teeth. “We’ll only need about half an hour or so. Have you seen the hiking paths in the forest? There are a few really beautiful trails just nearby.”

“I haven’t really seen much outside the house…” Aoba peeked at Noiz in askance, who finally turned to look at him.

“I’ll text you later tonight, okay?” Noiz sounded almost dismissive, but from the way his eyes were glistening, Aoba could tell that what he really wanted was for him to stay at his side.

Before Aoba could say anything to Noiz in response, Anne entered from a side door and beckoned for Aoba to come with her. Reluctantly, Aoba stood up from his chair. He sent one last worried glance at Noiz before exiting.

————

For a long while, a thick silence hung over the room. Then their father let out a disapproving sigh, breaking the momentary stillness. He rested his elbows onto the table and massaged his temples with his index fingers.

“Well, he’s pretty if nothing else.”

Noiz’s head snapped towards his father, eyes flashing as he snarled at him. But before he had the chance to spit back a response, Klaus hastily leapt to his defense. “It’s far too early for you to make that sort of judgment. You barely spoke to him.”

“People like that are easy to assess. A cheerful, empty-headed boy.”

Klaus looked almost as upset by the statement as Noiz. “Why are you so quick to reject him? Aoba is very smart. The whole reason he’s attending Toue is because he was the national speech competition champion all throughout his high school years.”

Noiz drew back, unnerved that his brother knew something that he had only recently found out himself. Klaus looked at him guiltily, as though to confirm his suspicions. He must have used their family’s connections to dig up information on Aoba. In retrospect, it wasn’t much of a surprise, though the knowledge of it still made Noiz’s chest burn with resentment.

His father crossed his fingers, his joined hands shielding the bottom half of his face. “That might be impressive to ordinary folks, but it certainly isn’t to us. Those sorts of accolades are the minimum requirement for admittance to a school like that.”

“But he still got in, didn’t he? If an elite university could find value in him, then why can’t you?”

“Honestly, son, being so naïve is only charming up to a certai-”

“Enough,” his mother ordered, interrupting the ensuing argument. “I’ve heard enough. The both of you, leave this room now.”

There was no need for her to make any sort of indication as to which of them she was referring to. “But Mother, we-” Klaus began, but his mouth clicked shut on its own once his mother narrowed her eyes at him.

Their father stood from his chair and swiftly exited the room. Shortly afterwards, Klaus threw a sympathetic glance at Noiz then grudgingly followed his lead.

Noiz continued to stare down at the spot where his dinner plate once sat, refusing to acknowledge his mother. From the periphery of his vision, he could see her nursing a wine glass in the palm of her hand and peering at him from over its rim.

“Not that I mind, but you’ve been unexpectedly quiet.”

A slight twitch of his brow was the only initial hint that he had even heard her at all. Tight-lipped, he replied, “Why would anything I have to say be of any interest to you at all?”

His mother smiled at him, though to Noiz, it looked as though she was baring her fangs. “Contrary to what you seem to think, I do believe your opinion holds some value. That said,” she took a slow sip of red wine before continuing, “If you were smart, you would have chosen a lover a little more similar to you.”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Noiz finally looked up at his mother, openly glaring at her. “I don’t care what you and Father think. I’m never breaking up with Aoba. He actually loves me, unlike you two.”

His mother’s smile didn’t waver in the slightest; if anything, it grew even wider. “How sweet. Though I do hope his feelings for you are as strong as you say. You’re such a handful, after all: violent, promiscuous, antisocial. It’s a miracle that someone so normal ever took a liking to you in the first place, but how long can such a thing really last? A friendly, good-looking boy like him would have no problem finding any number of less troublesome partners.”

Noiz’s heart thudded wildly in his chest. He swallowed down his growing anxiety and replied, “He doesn’t think of me like that. Aoba … wouldn’t leave me.” Noiz cursed inwardly at how unsure he sounded, even to his own ears.

Although Aoba had confessed his feelings weeks ago, Noiz still feared that Aoba’s love for him was somehow tenuous. It felt like an eternity since the two of them had begun dating, but in reality, they hadn’t even been together for half a year. Everything was still so uncertain, so fragile. Would Aoba still feel the same way about him a year from now? Five years from now? What would happen to them after graduation? What if time eventually twisted their relationship into something painful and ugly?

His mother observed him with watchful eyes, noting every minute shift in his expression. “I think it’s only reasonable that I have my doubts. The two of you are so different, after all. He’s only been here for what… one day? And the poor boy already looks so uncomfortable. I wonder if he’ll really be able to survive the whole week here, especially after the banquet tomorrow.”

“Aoba and I aren’t going to that,” Noiz snapped.

“Why not?”

“Why should we?”

“There’s no reason for you not to.” His mother stared into the depths of her glass, swishing the liquid round-and-round until it formed a tiny whirlpool. Without warning, she set it down with a loud thunk, a smug smirk stretching her lips. “Are you afraid that he’ll bump into one of your exes?”

Noiz flinched at the way his mother’s tone lilted on the word ‘exes.’ Though he loathed admitting it, his mother was right; he had every intention of hiding his sordid past from Aoba.

“I’m sure you’ve already guessed this,” his mother continued, not bothering to wait for his answer, “But I don’t share the same concerns as your father. Frankly, I don’t care who your boyfriend is. You’re an adult now, after all. An arrogant, stubborn, irritating adult, but an adult nonetheless. As far as I’m concerned, you are of age to fuck whomever you want.”

Noiz’s expression remained blank throughout her entire tirade, numbed to the sting of his mother’s words. He said nothing in return; as far as he was concerned, he never wanted to speak another word to his mother again. He hated her. He hated this place. All he wanted was to leave and finally let his home become nothing more than a bitter memory.

Abruptly, his mother asked, “Klaus was the one who arranged this meeting, was he not?”

Noiz gave her a curt nod. She let out a light chuckle in reply. It was a gentle sound, like wind chimes in a spring breeze. Noiz had always found it absurd how pretty her laugh was.

Once she gathered herself, she said, “I have some idea of what that silly boy is thinking. I would guess that he’s currently pacing and fretting in the hallway, if you would like to thank him for his efforts.”

Noiz took her words as an invitation to leave. He pulled the handle and swung the door open, jumping in surprise upon finding Klaus on the other side of the newly-formed gap, head turned as though he had had his ear pressed to the door. He quickly took a step back, cheeks slightly pink from embarrassment.

“I was just about to enter the room,” he explained with shifty eyes.

Noiz just sighed, exasperated, and pushed past him to the hallway beyond. “Wait a minute!” Klaus yelled. He closed the door behind him and chased after him until they were shoulder-to-shoulder. “What happened? What did she say to you?”

“Why does it matter?” Noiz quickened his walking pace, as though in an attempt to get away from him.

Klaus easily matched his speed. With an apologetic expression, he said, “I’m guessing it didn’t go so well. I know how much of a demon our mother is to you, but I’m sure we could find some way to-”

“’We’?” Even Noiz felt somewhat taken aback by how unhinged his own laughter sounded. “I guess it _would_ be useful to have someone like you around. How much of Aoba’s information did you manage to get your hands on, anyway? Are there any childhood traumas I should know about?”

Klaus winced, as though his words had been a physical attack. He took a moment to respond, carefully constructing his words. “I only did it because I knew that our parents would pull the same condescending, manipulative shit that they always do. And the moment they found out Aoba’s name, I bet they looked him up too.” After a thoughtful pause, he added, “I promise I didn’t read anything too … personal in nature.”

“Obtaining and then calling Aoba’s cellphone number isn’t too personal?” Noiz asked with a sardonic smirk.

A crease appeared between Klaus’s brows. He raised his voice as he said, “Well, it’s not as if you gave me much of a choice. I bet you weren’t even planning to tell me about him at all if I hadn’t found out on my own.”

“So it’s my fault?”

There was a noticeable shift in Klaus’s expression, cold reality snuffing out all remaining traces of remorse. “Look, what’s done is done. I’m sorry if you don’t agree with my methods, but I did what I thought was best. And besides,” Klaus clutched Noiz by the shoulder, stopping him in his tracks, “The whole reason I even suggested that Aoba meet us is because I want him to be part of the family.”

Noiz squarely met his brother’s gaze, a hardened look in his eyes. “I know that. But it doesn’t matter. _I_ don’t even want to be part of this family, and I want for Aoba to be part of it even less.” He gently removed Klaus’s hand from his shoulder. “And you might not be as bad as our parents are, but you’re not all that different from them either.”

Klaus recoiled, a hurt look momentarily distorting his features. Noiz ignored the painful thrumming in his chest and walked away, leaving his brother to stare at his retreating back.

—————

It was dark outside by the time Aoba and Anne returned to the mansion. The two of them had passed the time by strolling through Grünwald. A short while into their walk, they happened upon a beer garden near the town center. The owners were a friendly couple who, upon learning that Aoba was a guest from Japan, offered him a tall glass of their locally-brewed Bavarian-style wheat beer for free. They also traversed the perimeter of a large film studio, which Anne informed him was the largest in the country.

Though Aoba enjoyed their walk, his mind was burdened with thoughts of Noiz and his family the entire time. He suspected that Noiz’s mother had not-so-subtly forced him out of the house precisely because she wanted to talk to Noiz about him—and after that disastrous dinner, he doubted Noiz’s parents had anything positive to say. He sighed, a deep sense of unease settling in his gut.

“Do not worry,” Anne said. She turned to face him, stopping just short of the mansion’s entrance. “No matter what their parents tell them, the young masters are sure to support you.”

“I know,” Aoba replied, sounding dejected. “But it still kind of hurts knowing that their parents don’t seem to like me.”

In a hushed voice, Anne quipped, “Those two don’t like anyone, and no one likes them either.” She winked and added, “Please don’t tell them I said that.”

Aoba laughed, feeling the weight in his chest lift a little. Anne opened the front doors, gesturing for him to walk in first. She escorted him to the grand staircase, and after making certain that he knew how to return to his room, she bid him good night.

He ascended the stairs and grabbed his cellphone from his pocket, frowning as the screen informed him that he had no new messages. Noiz had said that he would text him; was he still with his family? Aoba considered texting Noiz first, but decided against it. He rounded the corner to his room and froze upon finding the very person he was thinking about hunched over at the foot of his door.

“Noiz? What are you doing here? Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Noiz gawked at him for a few seconds, sluggishly blinking several times, as though disoriented. Slowly, he replied. “I don’t know. I just… felt like waiting for you.”

Aoba initially gave his boyfriend an odd look, though it gradually faded to one of concern. “Are you okay?”

Noiz pushed himself off the floor, Aoba offering his hand to help him up. Aoba gasped softly when Noiz suddenly reeled him into an embrace, squeezing him close to his body. He hid his face in the hollow of Aoba’s throat, concealing his expression.

“Noiz?” Aoba asked, worry bleeding into his voice.

When Noiz lifted his head a few moments later, he was smiling. “Yeah, I’m fine. How was your walk?”

Aoba felt himself loosen up a little and eased into the hug. “It was nice. We walked around town and stopped by this one beer garden that was sort of near the downtown area.” His eyes lit up as he went on to say, “The owners were really nice! I introduced myself to them in German and they seemed to understand what I was saying. And they gave me a free drink. It was some sort of beer. I think Anne said it was beison… or maybe it was w-weisson… or-”

“Weizenbier?”

“Ah… yeah. Probably that.” A faint blush colored Aoba’s cheeks. His attempts at speaking German had so far proven to be a rather humbling experience.

A strange emotion flitted across Noiz’s face just then. He removed his hands from behind Aoba’s waist and used one to cup the soft curve of Aoba’s jaw. With the other, he gently brushed Aoba’s cheek with the peak of his arched fingers, the reddened skin only growing redder under his touch. Aoba stared deep into Noiz’s eyes and found warmth and tenderness bubbling at its surface, an outpouring of all the love Noiz’s fragile heart had to offer him. But Aoba could faintly sense something terrible and dark creeping at the very edges, its taint threatening to overwhelm all his other, purer feelings.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Aoba asked, a weak tremble chipping his voice like a pick on thin ice.

Noiz’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the chaotic swirl of emotions flared and roiled inside of him. His thumb ghosted over Aoba’s lips, who failed to suppress a nervous shiver in response. At that moment, Noiz’s invisible restraints shattered and he tugged Aoba’s face to his, devouring his mouth in a soul-searing kiss. He expertly used his tongue to pry Aoba’s lips apart, and Aoba, dazed and somewhat bewildered, allowed him in with little resistance.

Noiz had kissed him so swiftly and so suddenly that at first Aoba’s eyes were wide with panic. Then, upon realizing that the kiss wasn’t any rougher than normal, he relaxed and let his eyelids fall shut, soaking in the feel of Noiz’s mouth and tongue licking and sucking him. At some point during their kiss—Aoba’s mind was far too distracted to note exactly when—the two of them had gravitated away from the hallway and towards the door of Aoba’s room. Noiz’s back lightly bumped the varnished wood as Aoba broke their kiss with a shuddering breath and slumped forward, leaning the weight of his body against Noiz’s chest. Noiz’s hands slipped underneath the thin material of his jacket and his palms rolled up the thin material of his shirt as they traveled up his back.

Aoba scanned their surroundings warily, though there was no one else in their vicinity. “Let’s go in the room,” Aoba whispered, looking at Noiz pleadingly.

Noiz reached behind him and fumbled for the doorknob. Once he found it, he hurriedly turned it and almost fell over backwards upon opening the door. He quickly dragged Aoba into the room with him, kicked the door shut, and then shoved Aoba against it, the force of the push knocking the wind out of him. Before Aoba even had a chance to catch his breath, Noiz’s hands were already making a mess of his clothing.

From what Aoba had seen, delaying gratification wasn’t one of Noiz’s strengths in the bedroom. But even then, the current Noiz was far more desperate than usual, as though he _needed_ to touch Aoba as soon as possible. Firming his resolve, Aoba circled his arms around Noiz’s neck, pulling him in even closer. If this was what Noiz needed then Aoba was more than willing to give it to him.

Though they had just barely begun, he could already feel Noiz beginning to get hard. Aoba rolled his hips, grinding his crotch against Noiz’s and eliciting a quiet groan. Feeling encouraged by his response, Aoba grinded against him once more. With a wild spark in his eyes, Noiz’s lips and tongue made a sloppy path across every inch of Aoba’s exposed skin. Noiz hoisted Aoba’s legs up with his hands, his fingers digging into the underside of his thighs. Aoba complied, his legs hugging Noiz around the waist and his arms clinging onto the back of Noiz’s neck even more tightly than before.

Noiz carried Aoba to the garishly decorated bed, their lips locked the entire way over. The two of them fell onto the velvet bed sheets, Aoba sandwiched between the firm mattress and Noiz’s heaving chest hovering just above him. Aoba gasped sharply as Noiz worried the tender flesh of his earlobe between his front teeth. At the same time, Noiz reached down and palmed his crotch. Aoba rubbed himself against Noiz’s hand, feeling his cock quickly hardening from the touch.

Aoba gulped nervously. With a strained voice, he said, “Sorry, but I didn’t pack any… supplies.” He just then remembered Noiz recently saying that they wouldn’t need condoms anymore.

Noiz lifted himself slightly off Aoba to look around the room. “There’s probably Vaseline or ointment or something somewhere around this room.”

“Ointment?!”

Noiz ignored his indignant protest and crawled off the bed to search the cabinets nearby. His hand emerged from one drawer, a small container pinched between his thumb and forefinger. Aoba breathed a silent sigh of relief upon seeing the shape and color of the object—definitely Vaseline.

Noiz climbed back onto the bed and temporarily set the Vaseline aside to instead focus his attentions on the buttons of Aoba’s jeans. Noiz yanked his pants and boxers down to his knees and Aoba kicked the clothing the rest of the way off his legs. After retrieving the Vaseline, Noiz popped the lid off the container with his thumb and used his index and middle fingers to scoop up a generous glob of the smooth, oily gel.

Aoba rolled over onto his stomach and offered himself to Noiz, his heart thundering in his chest. The skin of his ass prickled uncomfortably, unused to being so utterly exposed. His breath hitched when he felt Noiz’s fingers part his asscheeks, a lone moistened finger slowly working its way inside him. Once fully inserted, Noiz moved the base of his finger in a circular motion, relaxing his tightened muscles. It wasn’t long before Noiz was able to include a second finger; the two of them were having sex often enough that preparation took much less time than it had just a couple months prior.

The two fingers circled and stretched inside him, and once Aoba felt comfortable, his hips seemed to gain a mind of their own, grinding and thrusting against Noiz’s hand.

“More,” Aoba panted, surprised by the desire and lust spilling from his own voice.

With a low growl, Noiz ruthlessly wrenched his fingers out from inside him and unbuckled his pants. For a short while, Aoba wordlessly sat there on his knees, listening to the slick, wet sound of Noiz lubing up his cock. During the short reprieve, Aoba wondered about Noiz’s piercings and how they would feel inside of him, finally uncovered. Aoba received his answer a moment later, when he felt the tip of Noiz’s cock stretch him open.

As Noiz pushed into him, Aoba noticed that he felt the hard, metal bits much more distinctly without the condoms, particularly when they rubbed against the taut ring of muscle at his entrance. After a few long and slow thrusts, Noiz began to accelerate his pace. Aoba buried his face into his pillow, muffling the sounds of his sharp, quick moans and gasps. His elbows dug into the mattress and were already starting to feel a little sore.

Noiz tightened his grip on Aoba’s hips as his thrusts became rougher and Aoba let out a loud cry when the head of his cock finally hit his sweet spot. Aoba clawed at the bed sheets, his voice rapidly growing hoarse as Noiz mercilessly slammed into him over and over, the piercing at the head of his cock only adding to Aoba’s pleasure. Noiz trailed kisses along the back of Aoba’s neck, though he frequently paused to grunt and moan as the pace of his thrusts gradually became wilder.

When Noiz finally removed his hand from his hips and stroked his cock at the same erratic rhythm as his thrusts, Aoba already felt on the verge of bursting. He turned his face to the side and just barely managed to choke out, “I-if you go that fast, I’ll…”

Noiz shifted their position slightly so that his mouth was as close to his ear as possible. Then in a low, sensual voice, he purred, “Go on. Do it.”

Spurred on by Noiz’s command, Aoba used his elbows as an anchor and pushed the lower half of his body in an upwards motion to meet Noiz’s thrusts. Noiz groaned loudly in reply and forcefully jerked his cock, his thumb teasing the slit at its head. Another cry tore itself from Aoba’s throat and he felt a mind-numbing heat gathering inside him. After a few more thrusts, the warmth finally spilled over, pleasure coursing through his limbs like jolts of electricity.

Noiz came shortly afterwards with Aoba’s name on his lips, his hips finally slowing down their frenzied pace as he rode out his orgasm. Aoba shuddered as he felt Noiz’s seed spill inside of him, mixing with the petroleum jelly to make his insides even stickier.

Aoba felt Noiz rest his forehead against the back of his neck, the both of them panting and waiting for their breaths to even out. After a few moments, Noiz kissed him on the back of his head and pulled out of him. Aoba crawled out from underneath Noiz, but before he could succeed in his attempt to get off the bed and clean himself up, Noiz wrapped his arms around him and tackled him back onto the mattress.

Noiz buried his face into Aoba’s hair and murmured, “I love you. I love you so much. You’re the only one I need.”

Aoba knew there were hidden meanings behind those words, endless layers upon layers of fragile truths for him to discover—at a later time. For now, Aoba simply spun around in Noiz’s arms and returned his embrace.

“I know. I love you too.”


	14. Valentine’s Day Side Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right before his Valentine's Day date with Noiz, Aoba receives a mysterious present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally planned to include this in the Valentine's Day chapter, but it didn't end up fitting in. Apologies for the awkward chronology!

Aoba broke into a run the second the elevator doors pried themselves open on Glitter’s second floor. He had gotten out of class late and now only had fifteen minutes to get himself dressed before meeting up with Noiz for their date. He slowed down to a jog when he noticed from a distance that there was a gift box placed directly in front of his door. He stooped down and used both hands to pick up the pink, square-shaped package; it was surprisingly light, so much so that Aoba wondered if there was really anything in it. The contents of the box made a very light thumping noise when he shook it. It was only then that Aoba noticed something swinging and bouncing against the side of the package—a small pink card attached by string.

_Dearest Aoba,_

_We caught wind of the romantic evening planned out for you tonight and thought this little gift might help spice things up a bit. Have fun on your date!_

_Love,  
Virus  & Trip_

_P.S. Please ask Noiz to take pictures._

Aoba eyed the two names scrawled near the bottom of the note with immense suspicion. He grabbed his room key from his pocket, wisely deciding to open the package within the privacy of his room. After peeking behind the door and making certain that Clear had yet to return, Aoba swiftly scurried inside and locked the door behind him. He tentatively lifted up a corner of the lid and peered into the box’s contents.

Aoba’s eyes went huge. He let out a mortified squeak and immediately slammed the lid back shut. “What the heck are they thinking?” he muttered with pink cheeks.

 He stomped over to the other side of his room and shoved the box into the deepest, darkest corner of his closet, then hurriedly began dressing for his date.

\----------

Aoba let out a shuddering breath as Noiz nipped at the soft flesh directly below his earlobe. While returning to the dorm, Noiz had casually informed him that he and Clear had already agreed to switch beds for the night and that Clear had taken Ren with him. Though knowing that such a thing had been prearranged gave Aoba the vague feeling of a mouse getting caught in a trap, after their conversation under the stars, even he had to admit that it was exactly what he wanted. All of which led to the two of them making out in the hallway, right against the door of his room.

“Noiz,” Aoba moaned as he felt his boyfriend’s warm lips and tongue suck along the arch of his ear. Aoba slipped his hands underneath the fabric of Noiz’s tight-fitting shirt and vest, smiling when he reflexively jerked away only to relax into his touch a moment later. Aoba sighed contentedly as Noiz’s touches gradually became rougher and more possessive. He didn’t want to hold back at all tonight.

Aoba froze as his thoughts brought a certain _something_ to mind. Noiz seemed to sense the shift in his behavior and leaned away, looking him straight in the eye. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his concern growing more apparent once Aoba failed to answer his question immediately.

Aoba gently chewed on his bottom lip as he considered his next move. After a long internal struggle, he very slowly said, “Can you give me a moment? There’s… something I need to do before you go into the room.”

Noiz merely lifted an eyebrow in response. “It’ll only take a minute,” Aoba added, though he knew his words would do nothing to satisfy Noiz’s curiosity. After a few seconds of consideration, Noiz nodded, giving Aoba permission to quietly sneak into his room.

Noiz pressed his ear against the door, but other than the muted sound of either a door or a drawer sliding open, he was otherwise unable to hear a thing. After a few minutes, Aoba finally called for Noiz to enter.

The darkness hung thick inside the room. Noiz automatically reached for the light switch, but stopped once Aoba blurted, “Don’t open the light until you close the door!”

Noiz hastily locked the door shut behind him then flipped the lights on. Once the fluorescent bulb flickered to life, he spotted Aoba standing on the opposite side of the room and his jaw dropped the very next instant.

Aoba fidgeted nervously as Noiz’s gaze roamed up and down his mostly-exposed body. His eyes were stretched so wide that Aoba was almost scared they might fall out.

Aoba was nearly naked, save for the blue lace panties that just barely clothed him. It rested low on his hips, his pubic hair peeking out at the top. Noiz couldn’t suppress a smirk when he noted that Aoba had already hardened to the point that his cock was straining against the cloth that confined it, lifting the hem of the panties slightly off of his skin. When he was looking Aoba over a second time, he noticed that the material appeared to dip at some point beyond Aoba’s hipbone.

Noiz gulped. “What does the back look like?” he asked, his voice suddenly sounding strained.

Aoba’s cheeks instantly turned several shades darker. He reluctantly turned to face the other way, burying his face in his hands as he did so. The lacy fabric suddenly plunged downwards at the back, revealing the smooth skin of Aoba’s ass. The panties were held up by a neatly-tied blue cloth bow, which rested at the base of his spine and perfectly framed his exposed rear.

Aoba quickly spun back to face Noiz. “Virus and Trip randomly gave this to me earlier today. I don’t know why or where they even get this stuff,” Aoba babbled, finding the silence unbearable.

Noiz nodded dumbly, his eyes still glued to the spot where Aoba’s ass had been just a few seconds prior. He made a twirling motion with his finger and ordered, “Turn around again.”

Aoba did as he was ordered, his eyes shyly falling to the floor. The seconds ticked by. He heard the shuffling of footsteps, and just when Aoba was about to turn his neck to peer over his shoulder, he felt Noiz suddenly press his chest against his back and slide his arms around his waist. He fought to stifle a laugh when he felt a hardened bulge rub against his ass crack. _Of course he would get hard just by looking_ , Aoba dryly thought.

All coherent thoughts fled his mind when Noiz gently pressed his moistened lips against the curve of Aoba’s neck, his hot breaths ghosting over sensitive skin. “Virus and Trip gave you this?” Noiz murmured.

Aoba nodded, and then shivered when he felt Noiz’s tongue dart out and make a slow trail along his neck, up to his hairline.

“Next time, tell them to buy you a thong.” Noiz reached down and palmed his erection through the thin fabric of his panties.

“Aaah,” Aoba moaned, too aroused to think of a proper comeback.

\----------

Virus and Trip were both kneeling on Virus’s bed, listening to the delicious sounds coming from the room next door through the tall drinking glasses they had held up against the wall.

“I hope they took pictures like we asked,” Virus said, sighing dreamily when Aoba let out yet another lewd moan. “Noiz sure is lucky. I wish I could see all the cute faces Aoba is making right now.”

Trip climbed off her sister’s bed and grabbed the laptop sitting atop her desk. “There are ways to make that wish a reality,” Trip said, smiling to herself as she opened a new window and typed the words ‘hidden camera’ in the search bar.


	15. Vacation Abroad (Part III)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba attends a banquet in Munich and meets someone from Noiz’s past.

_They were ages fifteen and sixteen, respectively. The sky was bleeding several shades of red as the sun continued to dip below the horizon. The two of them walked home side-by-side, separated by a distance of a few feet._

_His older brother reached up to pick at the dried blood clotting the fresh tear dividing his bottom lip in half, but Klaus grabbed his wrist and pulled it away before he could further irritate the wound._

_“Don’t scratch it. You’ll only make it worse.”_

_Noiz shook his hand off and clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I wasn’t gonna scratch it,” he said in a petulant tone. “And you should worry about your own face before you start fussing over mine.”_

_Klaus sighed, the throbbing only growing worse once he focused his attention on it. His eye had yet to blacken, but the bruise already hurt like hell; he had to bite back a wince every time he blinked. “You know,” Klaus said, choosing his words carefully so as not to aggravate his brother any further, “You didn’t have to jump in like that. Chris was just trying to shut me up. He wasn’t looking for a real fight.” He idly wondered if the oafish exchange student who had punched him earlier that day would be forced to return to America after their little scuffle._

_Noiz dismissed his protest with a casual shrug of his shoulders.”I can’t just stand by and watch while some moron punches you in the eye.”_

_Klaus turned his head and peeked at his brother’s expressionless face. Though he knew that Noiz didn’t hate him the way he hated their parents, it was still strange for him to say something so protective. “Why not?” Klaus wondered aloud. As an afterthought, he added, “Is it because we’re family?”_

_“No,” Noiz spat, his mouth forming a thin line. Judging from his brother’s tone, Klaus assumed their conversation would end there. To his surprise, after a short pause, Noiz went on to say, “It’s because you’re the only other person in this world who has the same shitty parents I do.”_

_It took a few seconds for Noiz’s words to sink in. The next moment, Klaus was clutching his belly, doubled over in laughter. He lagged a few paces behind Noiz as he sought to control his breathing. He felt moisture sprout at the corners of his eyes, and through his tear-blurred vision, he saw Noiz stop and stare at him with an amused lift of his brow._

_—————_

Aoba opened his eyes to a darkness so heavy that when he shut his eyes once more, he found that he could hardly tell the difference. He could feel Noiz’s slow, steady breaths warming the back of his neck. He turned to face Noiz, moving carefully so as not to disturb him. He could still make out Noiz’s features in the dark: his slightly parted lips, his long lashes, the way his bangs fell side swept across his forehead. He looked so calm and peaceful in his sleep, a stark contrast to the wild desperation he had exhibited when they made love just hours before.

Fully aware that he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep so easily in his current state, Aoba softly kissed Noiz on the forehead then quietly rolled out of bed. He stumbled around in the dark, outstretched arms acting as a buffer, until his feet shuffled into his still-unpacked suitcase. He pulled out a fresh pair of boxers from within, as well as a plain cotton shirt and matching shorts. Once dressed, Aoba tiptoed over to the door and pulled it open, squinting as light from the hallway flooded into the room.

He descended the staircase and headed to the kitchen for a snack, deciding to bide his time until sleep eventually reclaimed him. Once he reached the foot of the staircase, he glanced to his left and noticed that the door to the library had been left ajar. Through the crack, he faintly heard the sound of someone sneezing. His curiosity mildly piqued, Aoba sneaked up to the door and peered into the room beyond it. He expected for it to be a servant tidying up the bookshelves, but was surprised to instead find Klaus sitting in one of the room’s many plush armchairs. He was staring down at the floor, his face a mask of deep concentration.

Aoba decided it was probably best to leave the other man to his thoughts, but as he took a step backwards, the floorboard creaked beneath his foot. Klaus’s head snapped up and Aoba froze as their gazes met.

“Aoba?” Klaus asked, standing up from his seat to get a better glimpse of him.

Aoba smiled sheepishly and nudged the door until he was able to walk through the gap more comfortably. “Hello, Klaus. I had trouble falling back to sleep, so I decided to wander around a bit,” he explained.

His face relaxed into a smile, erasing all traces of the somber expression he wore just moments ago. “I’m having trouble sleeping too. Do you mind keeping me company in the meantime?” He gestured to the empty armchair across from him.

As Aoba got comfortable in his seat, Klaus walked over to a narrow wooden cabinet beside the fireplace mantel on the far end of the room. He opened the cabinet doors and lifted up what appeared to be a half-empty bottle of hard alcohol. “Do you drink whiskey?”

Aoba shook his head. “Ah, no thank you. I’m fine.”

Klaus brought the bottle over and refilled the short, wide-brimmed glass sitting on the table between their chairs. He set the bottle down with a dull clink and settled in his seat, grabbing his glass by the rim and bringing it to his lips. Aoba noticed then that he was still wearing the same clothes from earlier: black slacks and a white dress shirt, the top button left undone. He wondered if Klaus ever wore anything resembling casual clothing.

Aoba cleared his throat once Klaus set the glass back onto the table. “Not to be a killjoy, but aren’t you a little young to be drinking that kind of stuff?” Aoba eyed the bottle’s logo, which had been directly engraved into the glass. He didn’t recognize the brand, but it was obvious from the shape of the bottle alone that it was the type of alcohol best suited for middle-aged businessmen.

Klaus stared at him with a blank expression. “Am I?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.

“Well yeah,” Aoba replied, matching his confused expression with one of his own. “Most people don’t start drinking stuff like that until they’re way older.”

“Is that so?” A wry smile overtook his lips. He took another sip of whiskey before continuing, “I’ve often been told that my brother and I were forced to grow up too fast. I guess that applies even to small things like this.”

Aoba pondered the other man’s musings. It certainly explained Noiz’s absurdly high alcohol tolerance. It also brought to mind a question Aoba had secretly been asking himself ever since Klaus and Noiz’s mother had shooed him away after dinner. “Is it okay if I ask you something?” Aoba timidly asked.

“Of course,” Klaus replied with an easy smile. “What’s on your mind?”

“I was just wondering … did Noiz have an argument with his parents after dinner?” Klaus’s smile fell in an instant. Afraid that he might have offended him, Aoba quickly added, “Sorry if I’m prying too much. I was just curious because Noiz was acting a little strange afterwards …”

Klaus curbed his eyes to the side, guiltily avoiding Aoba’s gaze. “That doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. To be frank, Noiz ends up arguing with our parents almost every time he speaks with them. Our mother especially.” Klaus’s voice dropped to a low grumble at the mention of his mother. He took another sip, his face contorting as its pungent taste momentarily overwhelmed his senses. “I’m the only one he has regular conversations with. Though even then, the two of us end up bickering over something-or-other half the time.”

Aoba frowned as Klaus ended his sentence with a sharp, humorless laugh. He felt a little ashamed for probing into such a personal issue, but now that he had landed himself in the center of Noiz’s family conflict, he felt compelled to know as much as possible.  “Has your family always been like this? Like even when you and Noiz were kids?”

“In a way, yes. My brother and I spent more time with our servants than our parents when we were children, so the two of us weren’t close to them even back then. But it got much worse once our parents began grooming us to inherit their company.” Klaus abruptly stopped and stared at his feet, his eyes glazing over as he fell deep into his thoughts. With the same contemplative look fixed onto his face, he murmured, “From the very beginning, my brother never accepted the role our parents wanted him to play. I’m always praised for being the obedient son, but now I’m beginning to think I accepted my own role a little too easily.”

Before Aoba could decipher the meaning behind Klaus’s words, his head suddenly snapped up, his eyes refocusing on Aoba. In a louder voice, he asked, “Has my brother ever told you what happened to him a couple years back?”

“He hasn’t told me much of anything about his life before meeting me,” Aoba admitted.

Klaus nodded in understanding. “I assumed as much. I don’t know how he was when you first met him, but in terms of behavior, he was a textbook delinquent throughout much of high school. He would disappear for a couple days at a time then suddenly return home, sometimes with minor injuries, and act like nothing happened. At first, I thought he had just taken off again like he always does. But then a whole week went by without even a single phone call from him.”

Klaus downed the rest of his whiskey in one large gulp, as though in preparation for what he was about to say. After setting his glass back down, he continued, “I got suspicious, so I did a little digging around and discovered that my brother was being held at a low-security prison for hacking into a classified government database. I informed my mother immediately, and she told me that the police had called her the day he was arrested, but that she had refused to post bail. When I asked her why not, she just laughed and said, ‘If he was foolish enough to get himself in there, then the least he could do is get himself out.’” Klaus paused, his face twisting into a grimace. “I ended up raising the money on my own and bailed him out a few days later. As you can imagine, his relationship with our parents only worsened after that.”

Aoba stared wide-eyed throughout the entirety of Klaus’s speech. There was a dull ache in his chest and he felt strangely light-headed. Though he was fully aware of Noiz’s talent with computers, he would have never guessed that he had used that skill to do something so blatantly illegal. And though he wasn’t nearly as surprised to learn that Noiz’s parents had mistreated him, hearing the details of it only worsened the pain he felt.

Despite his disappointment that Noiz had chosen not to disclose such information to him, Aoba knew in his heart that even this disturbing revelation did not in any way diminish his feelings for Noiz. He now wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around Noiz and hold him until he fell back asleep.

Klaus’s voice drew him out of his thoughts. “You really care about my brother, don’t you?”

Aoba nodded at his abrupt question, feeling suddenly self-conscious. Klaus’s eyes softened and the tension eased from Aoba’s chest.

“I wasn’t raised to be a very trusting person,” Klaus continued, “But I’d like to believe that you’re good for my brother. I hope you are.”

The vulnerability in Klaus’s voice reminded Aoba that no matter how mature he seemed, he was still just a teenage boy. Aoba smiled and hoped it was reassuring. “I hope so too.”

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for a few moments before Klaus let out a tired, drawn-out sigh. He stood up from his seat and offered a hand to help Aoba out of his. “It’s getting late. You should probably return to bed before my brother wakes up to find you gone.”

Aoba allowed Klaus to pull him out of his chair, blushing slightly at the realization that he had correctly guessed that Noiz and him were sleeping in the same bed.

Klaus led him out of the library, quietly shutting the doors behind them. “Today was terrible, but I think I feel a little better now. Thank you for keeping me company.”

After Aoba returned his thanks, the two of them said good night and parted in the hallway.

Aoba was sneaking back into bed a few minutes later. The mattress dipped under his weight and the sudden movement stirred Noiz from sleep. “Aoba?” he asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

“Yeah, it’s just me. Go back to sleep.” Aoba soothingly combed his hand through Noiz’s hair and leaned down to press a soft kiss on his lips. He lay down half on top of Noiz and pressed his ear against his chest, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.

————

Noiz was still fast asleep when Aoba woke up the next morning. Aoba lay there for a few minutes, debating whether or not to rouse him from sleep. In the end, he decided that Noiz deserved his rest. He quietly made his way out of the room, determined to refill his now-empty stomach. Though the servants in the kitchen attempted to make a fresh meal for him, Aoba was perfectly content with stuffing his face full of the previous night’s leftovers.

Upon returning to his room, he caught sight of Anne just as she was exiting Noiz’s bedroom. “Good morning!” he called out to her.

She returned his greeting with a smile. “Good morning, Aoba. I was going to make the young master’s bed, but it looks like he slept elsewhere last night.” She sent him a knowing wink and Aoba averted his eyes in embarrassment.

From the periphery of his vision, he glimpsed the barren interior of Noiz’s room just before Anne shut the door and shielded it from view. “Has Noiz’s room always been that empty?”

“Not always. The young master brought many of his belongings with him to school. The rest of it was put in the storage room.”

Aoba perked up at her last sentence. “The storage room?”

“It’s on the first floor, if you are interested in seeing it.”

Aoba indicated his interest with a fervent nod. Anne led him down the staircase and through several corridors before finally reaching a nondescript wooden door. A musty scent wafted out of the room as the two of them stepped inside. Sunlight filtered in through the thin white curtains draped over each window, illuminating the contents of the large, cluttered room. Most of the items being stored were antique-looking items, but the objects in one corner of the room clearly differed from the rest. There were two wide-screen computer monitors sitting on the floor and behind it was a mountain of exposed computer parts haphazardly stacked together. Beside the computer hardware was a large cardboard box filled with designer suits. Each outfit was encased in a plastic sleeve and had a hanger poking out at the neck.

Aoba stepped closer to the box, his eyes widening in admiration at the beautifully designed pieces. “Are those Noiz’s clothes?”

Anne grabbed the hanger of the topmost outfit, untangling it from the rest of the pile. “Yes, these are the clothes the young master wore to formal meetings and events. He’s grown a lot over the past couple years, so most of these no longer fit him. It’s a shame.”

Aoba reached out and touched the wool blazer through the plastic sheet protecting it. “Noiz never wears anything like this at school. I don’t mind his regular clothes, but to be honest, this stuff looks way better.”

Anne glanced back and forth between the outfit and Aoba. She twirled the clothing by its hanger and pressed the back of the blazer directly against Aoba’s chest.

Aoba tilted his head in confusion. “Umm… what are you doing?”

She silently scrutinized him for a moment longer before her face broke into a smile. “It looks like this one might fit you. Do you want to put it on?”

“Eh?!” Aoba shook his head, flustered just by the idea of it. “Thank you for offering, but fancy clothes like that wouldn’t suit me at all.”

“How can you know if you haven’t tried it on?” Anne unwrapped the clothing from its plastic cover and patted off the dust with the palm of her hand. With a suggestive quirk of her brow, she added, “I’m sure the young master would be _very_ pleased to see you wearing this.”

Aoba blushed, fully aware that her words would likely prove true. With a defeated sigh, he said, “Fine. But I might need some help putting some of it together…”

Aoba had no trouble fitting on the beige-colored dress shirt and black slacks, but required Anne’s assistance to put on the white-and-black striped tie. The dark red blazer fit snugly across his shoulders. He popped the bronze-colored buttons through their holes and looked down, inspecting himself. The clothes fit comfortably, but Aoba still felt awkward.

Despite his reservations, Anne clapped her hands in delight and said, “You look great! I’m sure the young master will be thrilled to see you like this.”

Dubious as he was, Aoba accepted her compliment. Anne tucked his t-shirt and shorts underneath her arm and informed him that she would be throwing his clothes in with the rest of the laundry for the day. The two of them parted at the foot of the staircase. He returned to the room a few moments later and saw that Noiz had finally risen from bed.

Noiz’s eyes widened in surprise the moment Aoba stepped inside. He pointed at him and said, “You’re wearing my clothes.”

Aoba blushed and slowly nodded. He fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve and nervously asked, “Does it look okay?”

Noiz walked towards him, the corners of his lips gradually turning upwards with each step. “You look good. It looks better on you than it did on me.”

He reached up to the knot on Aoba’s tie and tightened it with a firm tug. He took a step back and looked him over once more. A thoughtful, almost gloomy expression flashed across his face. After a moment of hesitation, Noiz said, “You should wear this to the banquet tonight.”

“What banquet?” Aoba frowned. He was unaware of any plans they had for that evening.

“All the rest of my family are planning to go to some stuffy formal gathering in Munich later tonight. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to, but if you’re interested …” The rest of his sentence went unsaid.

Aoba considered his offer. Though dinner with Noiz’s parents had been far from enjoyable, he knew he would only be running away from the problem if he purposefully avoided interacting with them. With a resolved nod, Aoba replied, “Sure. Why not?”

From the look on Noiz’s face, it appeared as though he could give Aoba an entire list of reasons ‘why not.’ But in a rare show of restraint, Noiz declined to voice his thoughts. He instead took Aoba’s hand in his and kissed him on the cheek. “It should be a lot more tolerable if you’re there to entertain me. And at least the food will be good.”

“Really? What kind of food will they have?”

Noiz’s eyes lit up. “The last one I went to had a really good pizza. It was supposed to be for the kids, but I ate half of it.”

Aoba suppressed the urge to let out a long, exasperated sigh.

—————

In the early evening, Aoba, Noiz, and Klaus stepped into a limousine and headed for Munich. Their parents had already left for a meeting in Munich much earlier in the day and would be joining them at the banquet later that night. Throughout the entire car ride, Klaus and Noiz didn’t speak a single word to each other. Klaus seemed particularly jittery and barely even looked in Noiz’s direction. Thankfully, the drive was only about a half hour long, and just when Aoba was on the verge of dozing off, their driver parked the car and announced they had arrived.

Aoba felt his nerves spike the second he set eyes on the building beside them. The base of the monolithic domed structure occupied an entire city block. It appeared to be made wholly of glass and steel and was at least fifty stories tall, shooting upwards into the sky like a sparkling crystal bullet.

Aoba unconsciously tightened his grip on Noiz’s arm as the two of them stepped out of the car. Noiz sent him a worried glance and whispered, “We can still return home if you really don’t want to go.”

Aoba shook his head. “No, it’s fine. This building is just… intimidating.”

From behind him, Aoba heard Klaus say, “We’re going to the Arcadia Ballroom on the tenth floor.” Klaus stepped in front of them and led the way into the building.

The main lobby was just as impressive as the building’s exterior. Its centerpiece was a porcelain fountain lying within a nest of tall white marble pillars. Thin streams of water fell into the fountain from a circle of water spouts embedded into the ceiling. Aoba gaped at it in wonder before Noiz dragged him towards the elevators behind the reception desk. As the elevator made its way up to the tenth floor, Aoba mentally steeled himself for what lay ahead.

The Arcadia ballroom was located at the end of a long corridor. As they approached, two attendants swung open the double doors and murmured a greeting in German. Aoba had expected for the ballroom to look like a medieval banquet hall, but it better resembled a high-end restaurant. Oval-shaped tables dotted the floor of the narrow rectangular space, each one draped with flowing white silk tablecloths. At the center of each tabletop was a tall glass vase that contained a bundle of thin, freshly-cut branches with white blossoms sprouting from their tips.

Dozens of people hovered between the tables, chatting in small clusters. Mere moments after stepping foot into the room, an elegantly-dressed middle-aged woman called out to Klaus and pulled him into a conversation. Noiz managed to avoid the woman’s detection. Still clasping Aoba by the hand, he nimbly maneuvered through the crowd, making a beeline for one of the few vacant tables at the back of the room.

A hand suddenly darted out from the side and clamped Noiz by his shoulder, halting him in his tracks. Noiz reflexively shrugged the hand off and turned to address whoever had stopped him, scowling in irritation.

A tanned, well-groomed man stood before them. His short, thick black hair was slicked back and slightly mussed. He looked to be at least ten years older than them, though Aoba thought the stubble might have aged his appearance. He grinned and greeted Noiz with a proffered hand.

Noiz’s face went deathly pale. After a prolonged delay, Noiz reluctantly shook the man’s hand and returned the greeting. Noiz conversed with the stranger for a short while afterwards, looking clearly uncomfortable throughout their entire exchange. Whenever there was a lull in their conversation, Aoba noticed that the stranger’s eyes would wander to Aoba and Noiz’s entwined hands. When he finally stared Aoba in the face, the coldness of his gaze sent a shiver down Aoba’s spine. He spoke to Noiz once more, this time glancing at Aoba mid-sentence.

Seemingly offended by what the man said, Noiz drew his brows together and abruptly walked away, pulling Aoba along with him. As the two of them chose their seats, Aoba leaned toward Noiz and tried to sound nonchalant as he asked, “Who was that guy?”

“ _That_ was no one you need to worry about,” Noiz tersely answered.

Aoba fought the impulse to press the issue. He knew he had no reason to feel threatened by the man, whoever he was. But still, a dark emotion roiled in his gut when he remembered how the man’s eyes gleamed whenever he looked at Noiz.

Klaus joined them a few minutes later, along with the middle-aged woman Klaus had been speaking with, who then greeted Noiz upon spotting him. The remaining seats at their table gradually filled as more and more guests arrived. As the servers began to flood the room carrying platters of food, Aoba surveyed the room and realized that Noiz’s parents were not yet in attendance.

The first thing Aoba noted about the food was that the portions were rather meager. The first dish merely consisted of four pan seared scallops topped with caviar. The second entree was a half-cup of lobster and chestnut soup served in a wide-brimmed bowl. To Aoba’s surprise, he was then presented with several thin slices of kobe beef fanned out across an oval-shaped plate. In between courses, other guests occasionally approached either Klaus or Noiz, who would then introduce Aoba to the newcomer—or at least, he _thought_ that was what they were doing. Aoba didn’t understand a word of the incessant chatter around him and could only guess what people were saying based on their facial expressions and gestures.

Considering how extravagant all the previous food items had been, Aoba had high expectations for the main course. His face fell when the server set the plate down in front of him. “It’s a pizza?!”

Noiz had the complete opposite reaction. “I’ll eat yours if you don’t want it,” he said, already eyeing Aoba’s slice.

Aoba grabbed the pizza off his plate before Noiz could get his hands on it. He stared at the toppings, which appeared to be mostly cheese and shavings of an unusually fragrant mushroom. From beside him, he heard Noiz say, “I don’t personally care, but other people will think you’re being rude if you hold it like that.”

“What do you mean?” Aoba glanced over at Noiz, his brows rising in surprise when he saw Noiz using his knife and fork to cut the pizza into small pieces. He peered at the table’s other occupants and saw that they too were eating their pizza in the same odd manner. “Is this how all rich people eat pizza?” he asked as he carefully set his slice back down on its plate.

“Before I left Germany, I thought this was how everyone ate it.” Noiz stabbed a piece with his fork and popped it into his mouth. The sound Noiz made as he chewed was so lewd it made Aoba blush.

As he was less accustomed to using the knife and fork, Aoba took longer to finish eating his pizza than most everyone else. By the time he finally swallowed the last bite, most of the plates in the room had already been taken away. Noiz and Klaus were both preoccupied speaking with one of the other guests sitting at their table, and so, lacking anything better to do, Aoba decided to head for the bathroom. He wasn’t sure where it was, but figured he had plenty of time to wander aimlessly around the hallway until he eventually found it.

Aoba made his way through the maze of chairs and tables blocking his path to the door. Though the room was abuzz with laughter and discussion, Aoba had unconsciously drowned it all out; the German language was all just meaningless noise to him. Thus when he heard someone in his vicinity ask a question in Japanese, his ears immediately distinguished the sound from all others.

“What’s your name, kid?”

Aoba reflexively turned in the direction of the voice. His heart sank when he recognized the one who addressed him as the unpleasant man from earlier. He looked Aoba once-over and continued, “I don’t think we were introduced. My name is Gotthard.”

His Japanese was heavily accented, but otherwise sounded fluent. Aoba was so tense that when he told the man his name, it felt as though he had to force each word out of his throat.

Gotthard gestured for him to come closer with a wave of his arm. “Stay here and chat with me. Let’s get to know each other.”

For a long moment, Aoba stood rooted to his spot. There was something about the man that made Aoba instinctively wary of him, yet he could not deny that he was a little curious about his relationship with Noiz. Aoba approached the table with plodding steps, his hands balled at his sides. The other guests seated at the table paid him no mind and continued their conversation amongst themselves.

“How do you know Noiz?” Aoba asked. He decided that if he was going to speak with this man, he may as well be candid.

“I work for his parents,” Gotthard answered easily. Aoba waited for further explanation, but got none. The man took a swig of wine from his glass before going on to say, “I would ask how you met Noiz, but knowing him, I can already guess.”

Aoba’s face grew taut with anger at the implication behind his words. Gotthard looked Aoba over once more, provoking him even further, and said, “I’m surprised though. You don’t seem like his usual type.”

“If by his ‘usual type’ you mean all the people who took advantage of him in the past, then yeah, I’m definitely different.”

Gotthard stared him straight in the eye, a hard edge to his gaze. His lips turned in a mocking smile as he said, “Different in what way? Is he the one taking advantage of you?”

Aoba instantly opened his mouth to spit back a retort, but before he had the chance to, Gotthard interrupted, “Let me give you some advice. Don’t get too dependent on him. I’ve known Noiz for a long time and he gets tired of pretty little boys like you fast.”

Aoba clenched his fists so hard that his nails embedded crescent-shaped marks into his skin. From what little he knew about Noiz’s past relationships, he couldn’t help but think that there was perhaps some truth to what Gotthard said. But in the end, he knew the man’s words were mainly just empty insults. Before Aoba could stop himself, he snapped, “From what I can tell, it seems like _you’re_ the one he got tired of.”

At first, Gotthard’s face was a total blank. Then, to Aoba’s bewilderment, he laughed so loudly that even his tablemates were briefly distracted by it. “Am I really so obvious? I will admit, I‘ve been having difficulty forgetting about that night. He might be a stubborn, rebellious brat, but he’s quite alluring when he finally gives in.”

Aoba felt as though his heart had stopped its beating. He had had his suspicions, but having those suspicions confirmed was another thing entirely. Gotthard suddenly sobered, all traces of amusement vanishing as a dark look clouded his eyes. “But that’s how it is with guys like Noiz. He’ll give himself to anyone who has a little something to offer.”

A surge of resentment blazed through Aoba’s chest. Though he felt shaken and more than a little hurt, there was no way he would let this vile man say such things about the person he loved. With a defiant lift of his chin, Aoba retorted, “If you really think he’s that fickle, then you clearly don’t know Noiz at all.”

Gotthard smirked, his eyes narrowing in contempt. “That may be true. But I certainly know him better than you do.”

The person sitting across from Gotthard tapped him on the arm and said something to him in German. He turned away from Aoba, seemingly determined to ignore him from that point onwards. Aoba lingered there for a moment longer, seething in his own black emotions. He had half the mind to punch Gotthard in the eye.

Aoba loathed admitting it, but even more than anger, what he really felt was jealousy. He was probably being irrational, but he no longer cared. All Aoba wanted was to wipe the smug look off the man’s stupid, irritating face. From the corner of his eyes, he caught sight of a half-empty pitcher of water that was more ice cubes than liquid and recalled a prank he and Sei often played on one another when they were young boys.

He knew it was a bad idea even before he did it. But despite his reservations, his body seemed to move of its own accord; he lurched forward, grabbing the pitcher by its handle and, before Gotthard had time to react, Aoba yanked the back of his shirt collar and poured the ice water into the small opening.

Aoba watched with sadistic satisfaction as Gotthard let out a high-pitched yelp and scampered to his feet, untucking his shirt from his pants to let the ice cubes clatter to the floor. The water had seeped into the fabric of his clothing, dampening his entire backside. Like a snuffed candle flame, the entire room went silent all at once, every pair of eyes pointed in Aoba and Gotthard’s direction.

Gotthard yelled something in German, his wild eyes flashing at Aoba in fury. There was a flurry of movement, and in the next second, Aoba felt something hard slam into the side of his face. The force of the impact sent him staggering backwards, until he bumped into the table behind him and leaned against it for support. Severe pain flared up in his cheek, the throbbing so intense that Aoba involuntarily let a low groan slip from his parted lips. The taste of iron filled his mouth and he tentatively poked the wound inside his mouth with the tip of his tongue, wincing afterwards from the sting.

Aoba heard a loud commotion in front of him and blinked to clear his vision. His eyes widened in shock when his mind finally registered what he was seeing. Noiz had knocked Gotthard against the tabletop, the front of Gotthard’s shirt balled up in a vise grip. Noiz mercilessly smashed his fist into Gotthard’s cheek again and again, the bruised flesh making a sickening crunch each time Noiz’s knuckles made contact. Aoba saw a spray of blood erupt from Gotthard’s nose, staining Noiz’s hand along with the white tablecloth beneath him.

Mere moments later, Klaus ran up to Noiz and grabbed him from behind, attempting to haul him off the other man. Klaus hugged Noiz around his middle and gave him a strong tug, successfully tearing him away.

Following Noiz’s scuffle, several things happened in quick succession, though Aoba did not understand the details of what occurred until long afterwards.

—————

Klaus tightened his hold over his brother, who was still struggling in his arms. “Noiz, you have to calm down!” he hissed in his ear.

Meanwhile, Gotthard was screaming for security to throw Noiz and the rest of his group out of the building for assaulting him, which Noiz countered by shouting that Gotthard had started it when he punched Aoba. Klaus warily eyed the security guards approaching them from the sides.

A solitary voice pierced through the air, instantly quieting the growing chaos of the room.

“What are those buffoons shrieking about now?”

Klaus and Noiz both froze at the same time. Klaus’s arms, which had been restraining Noiz mere seconds earlier, went slack as he turned around to face his parents, who had presumably just arrived.

Gotthard straightened his back and jabbed a finger in Noiz’s direction. “How do you expect an animal like this to ever help run your company? Look what he did to me!”

Gotthard visibly tensed as their mother slit her eyes, a look of scorn flickering across her face. “Perhaps if you had learned to control your lust, you might have been spared this humiliation.”

Gotthard blanched. He took a step backwards in a sign of deference. “Ma’am, none of that was my fault! _He_ was the one who -”

She dismissed his excuses with a wave of her hand. “Enough. Your embarrassed blubbering is the last thing I want to hear right now.” Her face contorted in a look of blatant disgust. With a flick of her wrist, she whipped out a handkerchief from her breast pocket and threw it directly at Gotthard’s bloodied face. “And clean yourself up. You’re filthy.”

Gotthard clutched the handkerchief in his palm and gingerly patted the blood from underneath his nose. He marched out of the room, refusing to acknowledge either Noiz or Aoba as he strode past them. Klaus felt Noiz stiffen as their mother’s eyes landed on him, silently judging him from a distance. With a low growl, Noiz grabbed Aoba’s hand and trudged towards the exit opposite from the one Gotthard left through, loudly slamming the doors shut behind them.

—————

Noiz and Aoba roamed through the hallways with no particular destination in mind. While travelling through an empty passageway, Aoba firmly pulled on Noiz’s hand, forcing him to stop. Noiz turned and looked at Aoba questioningly, who curbed his gaze in remorse.

“I’m sorry,” Aoba mumbled. “I know that what I did was dumb, but I just …” Aoba stared down at their linked fingers, taking comfort in their shared warmth. “I just didn’t like how he was talking about you.”

Aoba’s eyes remained glued to their joined hands, anxious of how Noiz might react to his apology. He gasped softly when Noiz leaned towards him and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips. “Don’t apologize,” Noiz murmured, his face so close that Aoba could feel his warm breath against his skin. Noiz lifted his free hand to caress Aoba’s uninjured cheek, but retracted it upon seeing the red, partially-dried flecks dirtying the backs of his fingers.

Noiz surveyed their area then began walking in the direction they had come from, leading the both of them into a nearby bathroom. Noiz momentarily released Aoba’s hand to turn the tap of the sink faucet. He ran his hands under the jet of warm water that came gushing forth, staring intently as the steady stream washed the blood from his skin.

“He’s one of my father’s financial advisors,” Noiz said suddenly. Aoba gave Noiz a sidelong glance, his curiosity piqued. “I knew from the very first time we met that he was interested in me. Not that he tried to keep it secret.” Noiz punctuated the statement with a gloomy sigh. “About a year ago, he offered to slightly alter the company’s books and put some of the money he skimmed off into a private fund for my own personal use. But obviously, he wanted something in return … as you can see it wasn’t one of my better decisions.”

Noiz let out a bitter-sounding chuckle. He stepped around Aoba to dry his hands, guiltily avoiding his stare. Before he could reach the paper towel dispenser, Aoba jumped in the way and blocked his path. Aoba laid his palms upon Noiz’s shoulders and stood on the tips of his toes, laying a tender kiss near Noiz’s temple. Noiz’s shoulders tensed and Aoba leaned away, his kind eyes meeting Noiz’s troubled ones.

“Aren’t you … disappointed in me?” Noiz asked, his voice unusually meek.

Aoba smiled lovingly. “Of course not. Why would I be?”

His answer only made Noiz seem even more conflicted. “Because I’ve done lots of things that warrant your disappointment. I don’t know what Gotthard said to you, but at least some of it was probably true. I got into fights constantly, I slept around a lot —“

“So what? Everyone makes mistakes or has done things they’re ashamed of. It’s okay to have flaws, especially when you have so many admirable qualities already.”Aoba once more lifted himself on his toes to kiss Noiz on the cheek. “I love you, Noiz. You should value yourself more because I definitely value you a lot.”

Aoba noticed Noiz’s bottom lip begin to tremble. Aoba raised his head and soothingly nuzzled his lips against Noiz’s, letting his eyelids fall right before they touched. Noiz pressed against him more forcefully, prying his mouth open with his tongue and kissing him so hard that it literally took his breath away. They were both slightly out of breath when they parted. Aoba leaned his forehead against Noiz’s chest, smiling to himself. He licked his lips and then, to Noiz’s confusion, he abruptly started to laugh.

“What’s wrong?” Noiz asked, frowning.

Aoba wiped the moisture from his eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just—you taste like the pizza.”

Noiz’s face broke into a warm smile. He kissed Aoba on the forehead and said, “You do too.”

They exited the bathroom hand-in-hand. When they turned the corner, Noiz nearly bumped head-first into Klaus. Klaus immediately took a large step backwards and averted his eyes, still seeming uncomfortable around Noiz.

“I just wanted to let you guys know that the limo is parked at the entrance, if you feel like heading back home. Our mother and father will be riding the Landaulet home a little later, so if you’d rather just return with them—“

“Absolutely not,” Noiz emphatically replied, and even Klaus was unable to suppress a grin.

—————

They were just a few minutes away from Grünwald and stars twinkled in the sky, just barely visible amidst the lights that surrounded them. Aoba had dozed off long ago, resting the cheek that wasn’t swollen against Noiz’s shoulder.

Klaus gestured to Aoba with his chin and asked, “Is he going to be okay?”

Noiz turned his face away from the window, moving carefully so as not to disturb Aoba. “It doesn’t look that bad. It’ll probably heal in a few days.” With a smirk, he added, “He’ll definitely heal faster than Gotthard will.”

Klaus mirrored his brother’s smirk. “I know this is bad of me to say, but I really hope Father fires him after what happened. To be honest, he isn’t even that good at what he does.”

“Well, even if he doesn’t, in a few more years, you’ll be able to fire him yourself.” Noiz’s expression grew somewhat distant then.

The two of them fell into a contemplative silence. Klaus wistfully stared at the darkness beyond his window, heavy thoughts weighing upon his mind. In a quiet voice, Klaus mused, “If I could do things my way, I would fire half of the people with leadership positions in our company.”

Noiz’s eyes widened at his bold remark. “I doubt Mother would be very pleased if you did that.”

“If everything goes as planned, then in ten or so years, it won’t matter what Mother thinks.” Klaus’s voice had a cold edge to it, one that Noiz rarely heard. Klaus met his brother’s gaze, his eyes softening. “I want for things to be different for us in the future. I hate being surrounded by these people just as much as you do. But it’s hard to unlearn everything we’ve been taught, harder than I thought it would be. And now I know that I’m going to need help.”

 Klaus looked away, a twinge of nervousness rooting itself deep within his chest. After taking a deep breath, he continued, “When I take over the company, I want you by my side. I know it’s selfish of me to ask this, but you’re one of the few people I know I can trust. And once I’m president, I _promise_ you that things will be different.”

Noiz merely watched him in silence, his expression unreadable. Klaus gulped as he awaited his response, his heartbeat drumming frantically in his ears. “Of course, if Aoba wants to help out with the company too, I’d definitely welcome it,” Klaus blurted, desperate to fill the silence.

Noiz’s eyes dropped to his feet as they took on a more thoughtful look. Finally, his lips curved into a small smile and Klaus felt the tension in his body ease a little. “You know,” Noiz began, “People have always said that I’m the troublemaker of the family. Who would’ve guessed that you’d turn out to be the more rebellious one, after all?”

Klaus blinked. And then he hid his mouth behind his hand as he burst into laughter. He laughed until tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. It was the happiest he had been in months—years even.

Noiz closed his eyes and gently rested his head atop Aoba’s, the smile still lingering on his lips. “You better keep that promise,” he murmured.

Klaus returned his smile. “I will.”

—————

The very next morning, Noiz’s parents left without warning and boarded the first plane back to Hamburg. Aoba spent the rest of the vacation either going out into the town with Anne or lounging around the mansion with Noiz, who, to Aoba’s embarrassment, was determined that the two of them make good use of the Jacuzzi nearly every single day. After the day of the banquet, Aoba usually only saw Klaus during breakfast and dinner; during all other times, he was either busy with schoolwork or attending to business affairs.

Aoba used the international phone card Mink had given him to get in contact with his grandmother and Sei, and ended up using most of the available minutes gossiping with Sei about Noiz’s scary mother and his infuriating encounter with Gotthard.

During their very last day in Germany, Klaus accompanied them to Munich, where they visited the city zoo and the Olympic stadium. They also visited the Nymphenburg Palace, which Aoba thought was similar to Noiz’s house, except with more paintings on the ceilings and walls.

Soon afterwards, Klaus escorted them to the airport, leaving them just enough time to catch their overnight flight back to Tokyo. With boarding passes in hand, Noiz and Aoba dragged their luggage to the maze of belt barriers that was the security line.

Klaus smiled warmly at the both of them. “It was nice to meet you, Aoba. I hope I see you again, sooner rather than later.”

“Hopefully the next time I see you, my German will have improved,” Aoba said, sending a pointed glance at Noiz.

Noiz’s goodbye was far more standoffish. With an unceremonious wave of his hand, he simply said, “See ya.” He started to walk away, but stopped when he felt a hand grasp his wrist. He turned back, fixing Klaus with a questioning look.

Klaus let go of his wrist and shyly averted his gaze to the floor. “Goodbye, Noiz. Feel free to call if you need anything.” He then spread his arms wide and took a step forward.

Noiz gaped stupidly and automatically stepped backwards. “What … what are you doing?”

Klaus blushed, just barely managing to meet Noiz’s horrified gaze. “I’m hugging you goodbye. This is what brothers normally do, isn’t it?”

Noiz’s cheeks instantly turned a violent shade of pink. Klaus took another step forward, and Noiz retreated once more. He sputtered when Aoba suddenly pushed him from behind, forcing him towards his brother.

“Stop being a baby and give your little brother a hug,” Aoba said, poking his tongue out at his boyfriend, who let out a strangled whining noise in response.

With a pout, Noiz finally relented. He took a small step to close the distance between them and then the two brothers clumsily wrapped their arms around each other. The both of them stayed like that for a long moment, and Aoba couldn’t help but grin at their awkward show of affection.

Finally, the two separated. Klaus cleared his throat and Noiz fumbled with the handle of his luggage, looking embarrassed but also a little pleased. “Bye,” Noiz mumbled and scurried to the security line. Aoba waved at Klaus one last time then joined Noiz in line, and the two of them were soon lost within the crowd.

“I actually enjoyed being here, for the most part,” Aoba said, cuddling up against Noiz’s side. “To be honest, I’m a little sad that we’re leaving.”

For the first time in his life, Noiz agreed.


	16. Spring Send Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koujaku convinces the whole gang to go to the end-of-the-year block party on campus. Noiz decides to plan something special for him and Aoba that night.

“So,” Koujaku began, casually peeking up at the other occupants of the cafeteria table, “Are you guys going to the block party next week?”

“The what party?” Aoba blurted, genuinely clueless. He didn’t keep up with campus events at all; in fact, the last time he had even gone to a party was near the end of the previous semester. Nowadays, he spent most of his weekend nights with Noiz, though the fact that they had been neglecting their friends in the process did make Aoba feel a little guilty.

“There’s gonna be an end-of-the-year block party at the Night Valley apartments next Saturday,” Koujaku explained. “It’s the last big party before finals, so a ton of people are going. And I’ve heard that a lot of people are going in costume, though I think it’s mainly just the girls.”

Clear perked up at the word ‘costume.’ “I still have my Mad Scientist costume from Halloween,” Clear said, his eyes growing wide with excitement.

Koujaku smiled bemusedly, seeming as though he were biting back a laugh. “Uhh, I doubt people are going to be wearing actual Halloween costumes, Clear.”

“Then what kind of costumes will they be wearing?” Clear asked with a confused tilt of his head.

Before anyone could answer Clear’s innocently-posed question, Aoba interrupted, “If it’s the last party of the year, then I guess we may as well show up.” He cast a sidelong glance at his boyfriend sitting beside him. “What do you think?”

Noiz stared down at his bowl of spaghetti Napolitan, contemplatively twirling the noodles with his fork over and over. After a moment’s consideration, he smiled at Aoba and said, “Sure.”

“Really?” Aoba’s brows lifted in surprise at how easily Noiz had agreed. Koujaku sent Noiz a suspicious look, though he chose not to voice his thoughts.

Noiz shrugged. “I don’t mind as long as you’re going.” He then shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth.

Clear turned to the last remaining person at their table and asked, “What about you, Mink-san?”

“I’ll think about it,” he replied, and it was the closest to an affirmative answer any of them would get.

————-

Virus swung the door open, her eyes widening at their unannounced guest. “Oh? To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?” she asked with a mischievous lilt in her voice.

Noiz pushed past her and sauntered into the room uninvited. He nodded in acknowledgment at Trip, who was reclining on her bed. “I have a favor to ask.”

Virus positively glowed with joy. She sat on her bed and patted the space beside her, gesturing for Noiz to sit there. Noiz ignored her invitation and instead sat at a desk chair a little ways away from her. He pulled out a USB flash drive from his pocket and said, “I want a specific outfit for Aoba, but I’m having difficulty finding something in his size. And I’ll need it by Saturday afternoon at the latest.”

Noiz plugged the USB into Virus’s laptop and navigated to a folder of pictures saved onto it. Virus and Trip both gathered around the laptop, their eyes growing huge as Noiz shuffled through the photos, each one displaying a different angle of the item Noiz desired.

“You have excellent taste,” said Trip, who softly hummed in approval after every picture.

Virus took control of the mouse from Noiz and dragged the set of pictures onto her desktop. “You were wise to come to us with this sort of request. We know a local seamstress who could easily modify these clothes to fit Aoba. But if you want it by Saturday, it’ll cost you extra.”

“Money isn’t a problem,” Noiz responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I want this to be a surprise, so don’t speak a word of this to Aoba.”

Virus and Trip’s lips curved into eerily-matching grins. “Your secret’s safe with us.”

—————

On the night of the block party, the group decided to meet at Koujaku’s room after dinner to pre-game. They had even managed to rope Mizuki into joining them, which was worth a celebration in and of itself, as he was usually too preoccupied with his RA duties to attend most parties.

“Since it’s the end of the year, we’re drinking the Goldschläger tonight,” Mizuki said with a boyish grin, hoisting up the large bottle of cinnamon schnapps.

Clear stared at the thin golden flakes suspended in the clear liquid, eyes wide with wonder. “There’s actual gold in it!”

“Yup!” Mizuki cheerfully replied, “I heard the gold scratches your throat on the way down, but that’s probably a load of shit.”

The whole group sat in a circle on the floor as Koujaku passed out shot glasses. “We should play a drinking game,” Koujaku proposed once all the glasses had been distributed.

“The only game I know is Never Have I Ever,” Clear piped up, though Koujaku immediately rejected the suggestion.

“That game only leads to no good,” Koujaku said, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “A couple of the International students taught me a game called Kings—“

“We don’t have a deck of cards,” Noiz said before Koujaku could finish speaking.

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Koujaku glumly responded. The group fell silent as they mulled over their options. To everyone’s surprise, it was Mink who spoke first.

“Pin Pon Pan.”

Those three simple words instantly lifted the group’s spirits. “That’ll work,” Koujaku said, his face brightening.

“Wait, how do you play this?” Noiz asked, peering around the room as he awaited an explanation.

Koujaku volunteered to supply him with an answer. “Basically, one person starts by saying, ‘Pin.’ Then, the person to the left of the first person has to say, ‘Pon’ immediately afterwards. Then, the next person in line points to someone else and says, ‘Pan.’ Then the person who got pointed at says, ‘Pin’ and starts the process all over again. The first person who messes up has to take a shot.”

Noiz lifted his brow, looking somewhat bewildered. “Could you repeat that?”

Koujaku sighed. “Don’t worry. You’ll catch on as we play.” He turned to the rest of the group and asked, “Who’s starting?”

It took them less than an hour to finish the entire bottle. Koujaku, Mink, and Mizuki were the best at playing the game and were only forced to drink a few times each. Clear was the worst by far; he panicked every time someone pointed at him, and Noiz was merciless in exploiting this weakness. It took a while for Noiz to get adjusted to the game, and by that point, he had already been forced to take plenty of shots. Despite the fact that Aoba had comparably less to drink, Noiz was still the more poised of the two of them by the game’s end.

Mizuki drained the last few drops of the Goldschläger into his mouth. “All gone,” he said, twisting the cap back on to the empty bottle.

“I feel woozy,” Clear slurred, wobbling as he picked himself up off the floor.

The group all headed for the door in unison, chattering happily as they exited the room. Just as Aoba stepped over the threshold and into the hallway beyond, he felt a hand grab his wrist and lightly tug him back towards the room. Aoba peered over his shoulder and silently gave Noiz a questioning look.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Noiz said, then as an afterthought, he added, “In private.”

From further down the hallway, Aoba heard Koujaku yell, “Hey, are you guys coming or not?”

Aoba looked in Koujaku’s direction, offering him an apologetic smile. “Noiz apparently wants to talk to me for a sec. We’ll just meet up with you guys there.”

Koujaku stared at him for a long while, his expression a perfect blank. He then sighed wistfully and turned his back to them, facing the rest of the group. “Just text us when you guys arrive, alright?”

In the next second, everyone except for him and Noiz had filed out of the hallway and into the lobby, disappearing from sight. Aoba let himself be dragged back into the room.

Noiz cleared his throat to reclaim his attention, and then asked, “So you remember how Koujaku said that some people will be wearing costumes to the party?”

Aoba nodded slowly, a sense of foreboding churning his gut in anticipation. Noiz led him even deeper into the room, until they were standing beside Noiz’s closet. He slid the door open and pulled out a nondescript apparel gift box from the top shelf.

“There’s something that I’d like for you to wear.” He placed the box onto Aoba’s upturned palms.

Aoba gingerly lifted the top, eyeing the cloudy white gift wrap with suspicion. He unfolded the thin paper sheets, and his jaw dropped upon seeing the item hidden within.

It appeared to be one of those ridiculously over-sexualized maid dresses. It was made of black satin and featured a frilly white trim at the collar, a crisscross white lace design that stretched from the waist to the chest, and a decorative rectangular white cloth at the front of the skirt. When Aoba lifted the dress from its box, he noticed it also had a large white bow at the small of its back.

“It also comes with a matching headdress and underwear,” Noiz said, and his smile alone was almost as obscene as the clothing itself.

Aoba shoved the racy garment into Noiz’s chest, his face a mix of horror, anger, and embarrassment. “There’s _no way_ I’m wearing this … this thing! Are you insane?!” Aoba crossed his arms and huffed.

Aoba expected for Noiz to kick up a fuss over his refusal. Instead, Noiz calmly smirked and said, “I figured you’d say that. But I wouldn’t ask you to do this if I wasn’t willing to do something for you in return.”

Aoba gazed at Noiz from the corner of his eyes, still suspicious, but also a little intrigued. Noiz neatly placed the maid dress back into its box, and then turned back towards his closet. Suddenly nervous, Noiz visibly gulped as he once again reached for the top shelf, this time pulling out an airtight bag containing a few scant pieces of clothing.

At first, Aoba had difficulty identifying what he was looking at. In the center was what appeared to be a pair of black spandex boxers, except there was a white patch of cloth with a line of black buttons resting directly over the crotch region. Beside the boxers was a pair of white cufflinks. Aoba squinted at the last item near the top of the bag, and let out a surprised squeak upon recognizing it.

“Is that a _leather collar_?!”

Noiz nodded, his cheeks glowing faintly. “The studs aren’t as sharp as they look, so don’t worry about getting hurt. And it connects to a chain, if you want to use it …”

Aoba gaped, not quite believing his ears. “You … you’re really going to wear that?”

“Only if you wear the maid outfit,” Noiz said, his bottom lip protruding in a pout. His eyes fell to the floor and he shyly toed the carpet as he awaited Aoba’s response.

Aoba glanced at the dress sitting on Noiz’s desk, and then back at the bag in Noiz’s hands. He chewed on his lip as he considered his options. On one hand, dressing up like a maid would easily be the most embarrassing thing he had ever done. On the other hand …

Aoba eyed the studded black collar. “You said it comes with a chain?”

Noiz’s face instantly lit up. “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

Aoba sighed in defeat and nodded his head just once. Noiz grinned and crossed the short distance separating them, hugging him around the shoulders. “I got it custom-made for you and everything. It should fit perfectly.”

“Great,” Aoba dryly responded. He stepped out of Noiz’s loose hug and picked up the dress, looking it over with a frown. “This makes me wonder about what other crazy fetishes you might have.”

“Like you’re one to talk,” Noiz retorted, freeing the metal chain from its hiding place in his closet. “If I had known you had a thing for collars, I might have indulged you sooner.”

Aoba blushed furiously and turned to face the other direction, muttering about ‘perverted coercive brats’ under his breath.

—————

By the time the two of them arrived at Night Valley, the street facing the drab apartment buildings was already crowded with students. There was a pair of speakers off to the side that blasted music at the drunken, swaying horde. As Koujaku had said, many of the girls were wearing rather revealing outfits, a fact which only made Aoba more nervous about his own clothing. He self-consciously tugged at the hem of his dress, which just barely covered his ass.

The chain connected to Noiz’s collar made a low scraping noise as the very end of it dragged along the pavement. Aoba had elected not to hold onto the chain—for now, at least.

“There they are,” Noiz said shortly after they entered the premises. He grabbed Aoba’s wrist and tugged him towards a less congested corner of the lot.

Aoba spotted their friends huddled near the entrance of one of the apartments, and his heart rate rose sharply at the sight of them. “I don’t want to wear this anymore,” he whispered, his throat uncomfortably tight.

“We’ve already gotten this far, so we may as well just keep going.”

Before Aoba could respond to Noiz’s overly-passive suggestion, Mizuki spotted them from the corner of his eyes and waved them down. “Hey, you tw—WOAH! What the hell are you guys wearing?!” His eyes landed on Aoba and stayed there. “Is … is that a _dress_??”

Koujaku immediately whipped around to face them. He spotted Noiz first, looking like a male sex slave in his ridiculously tight shorts and collar. He was just about to burst into hysterics, but his laughter died in his throat the moment he laid eyes on Aoba. All that came out of his mouth was a strangled squeak as the blood rushed to his cheeks and made them glow like a 1000-watt light bulb.

“Aoba-san!” Clear pushed past all the others and ran up to Aoba, taking his hands in his. “You look so cute! I didn’t know you owned clothing like this!”

Aoba blushed and looked down at his feet, feeling too humiliated to correct his misunderstanding. Clear then turned his attention to Noiz and stared at him with a more concerned expression. “Noiz-san, aren’t you cold in that?”

Noiz merely shrugged in response. From a slight distance away, they heard Mink clear his throat. “I know a guy in this building who’ll give us free drinks.” He pointedly smirked at Noiz and Aoba then added, “I’m guessing you two are especially in need of alcohol.”

Clear cheered and followed Mink’s lead, dragging Aoba along with him. Mizuki followed soon afterwards, leaving Koujaku and Noiz alone outside. After a long silence, Koujaku finally regained his senses and belatedly sputtered, “Why are you two dressed like that?!”

The redness had yet to fade from his cheeks. Noiz sighed and rolled his eyes. “Just keep it in your pants, okay?” he muttered in an admonishing tone as he roughly nudged past Koujaku and into the apartment.

Koujaku grit his teeth and stomped after him, yelling, “I would tell you the same, except you aren’t even wearing pants!”

The two of them quickly rejoined the rest of the group at a large unit at the end of the first floor hallway. Mink’s friend was almost as tall as Mink himself. His face appeared to be permanently fixed in a mean glare, his blond hair was styled into a Mohawk, and he wore a wifebeater that displayed his rippling arm muscles. He was the type of guy who most people would avoid even looking at, but the moment Mink walked into the room, his face relaxed into something almost resembling a smile.

He wordlessly poured a round of whiskey shots for the whole group. After chatting and drinking a bit more, they overheard from another student in the hall that there was a few beer pong tables set up in another room down the hall. With Mizuki and Koujaku’s encouragement, they all decided to migrate over, with the exception of Mink, who decided to stay and hang out with his friend. After a couple rounds of beer pong, the whole lot of them became considerably drunker and rowdier: hardly anything Clear said made sense anymore, Noiz nearly got into a brawl with a guy who was aggressively hitting on Aoba, Koujaku tried his hardest to avoid looking at Aoba at all, and it all culminated in Clear projectile vomiting all over Koujaku’s jeans.

“Ahhhhh, Koujaku-san! I’m reaaaallllly sorry,” Clear said, looking both horrified and mildly confused. Koujaku slung Clear’s arm over his shoulder and reassured him that it was okay, though he continued to apologize profusely as Koujaku helped him out of the building.

Once outside, he turned back to the rest of them and said with a sheepish smile, “I think this guy’s had enough fun for one night. I need to get a change of clothes anyway, so I’ll just head back to the dorm with him.”

As Aoba said goodbye to the two of them, Noiz and Mizuki discreetly exchanged a look. With a wry grin, Mizuki jogged to Koujaku’s side and said, “I’m gonna head back too.”

“Already?” Aoba asked, frowning. “It’s not even midnight yet.”

“Yeah, well, I have to get up relatively early tomorrow morning anyway. RA duty calls.” He sent a not-so-subtle wink at Noiz, and then the three of them made their way through the crammed street and back to Glitter.

The moment the trio was out of sight, Noiz practically leapt at Aoba and hungrily kissed and sucked at his neck. Aoba’s hands immediately found Noiz’s hair, his fingers stroking the soft, uneven strands. “Careful,” Aoba whispered, a playful smile on his lips, “If you get hard, everyone will be able to see it through those shorts of yours.”

Noiz smirked. “Practically half the guys dancing are sporting boners. I’ll fit right in.” He went back to attacking the tender skin in the hollow above Aoba’s collarbone. Aoba noticed that the people in their immediate vicinity were starting to ogle them making out. He groped for Noiz’s chain and gave it a light tug, his heart fluttering as Noiz cutely groaned in response.

“Let’s join the crowd,” Aoba ordered, leading Noiz by the chain. The street was even more packed now that it was later in the night, and despite their skimpy outfits, the two of them still managed to blend in. Aoba stopped when he felt Noiz’s arms sneak around his waist from behind. Noiz bent down until his slightly parted lips connected with Aoba’s nape, his mouth and tongue making a slow trail upwards. Aoba released a drawn-out breath and rested his back against Noiz’s chest, craning his neck and relaxing into the kiss. Noiz’s hands climbed from Aoba’s waist to his chest, the pads of his index fingers finding Aoba’s nipples through the thin material of his dress and making slow teasing circles around them. Aoba whimpered, and the hand that wasn’t holding the chain reflexively shot up and weakly tried to pry Noiz’s hands away. His meek resistance only made Noiz more aggressive and Aoba leaned into his rough touches in spite of himself, becoming more aroused by the second.

The combination of alcohol, the obnoxiously loud music blaring through the speakers beside them, and the pleasant heat warming his whole body all made Aoba feel more daring than usual. He fully pressed himself against Noiz’s chest and gave an experimental roll of his hips, his ass rubbing against Noiz’s crotch. Noiz let out a sharp hiss in reply, his arms squeezing so tightly around Aoba’s chest that it was almost painful. Feeling encouraged by Noiz’s response, Aoba rolled his hips once more, grinding against Noiz’s crotch even harder than he had the first time. Aoba moved in time to the beat of the music, savoring the sound of Noiz’s breaths growing harsher with each thrust. By the time the song ended, Aoba could feel Noiz’s erection prodding the space between his cheeks.

Noiz suddenly spun him around and devoured his lips, kissing him so hard that it almost literally left him breathless. Aoba was still panting when Noiz took his hand and began guiding him away from the busy street. Aoba let his breathing even out before asking, “Where are we going?”

“Somewhere a little more … private.” Noiz didn’t bother to elaborate.

Aoba silently followed his lead, until they were so far away that the noise from the party quieted to a murmur. They eventually came upon a clearing with a square-shaped one-story building at the center of it. Aoba could see a faint glow through the curtained windows and worriedly asked, “Are you sure there’s no one in there?”

Noiz smirked back at him and said, “No, but we’ll find out in a minute.” Once they arrived at the entrance doors, Noiz cautiously turned the doorknob. Realizing that it had been left unlocked, Noiz pulled it open just wide enough to peek inside. He let out a sigh of relief and pushed the door fully open, allowing Aoba to peer into the room for himself.

The building appeared to be a dance studio, one large enough to accommodate at least thirty students. Large windows lined the wall to their left, which were now hidden behind white curtains. The wall opposite to it wasn’t a wall at all, but rather a huge mirror that stretched from one side of the room to the other. Aoba caught sight of his reflection and felt more embarrassed than ever now that he could see himself from head-to-toe. The dress really was made just for him; it fit snugly around his chest and waist and ended just beneath the curve of his ass, offering a more-than-generous view of his legs.

Aoba averted his eyes and instead chose to gawk at his nearly-naked boyfriend, who was now locking the entrance door. He immediately noticed the obvious bulge straining against the spandex material of Noiz’s boxers. Noiz caught him staring and smiled. “You like the mirror?”

Aoba blushed and turned slightly away from him. “Not really,” he replied, attempting to sound nonchalant. He gasped when he felt Noiz suddenly grab him from behind.

Noiz’s hot breath ghosted over the skin of Aoba’s ear as he whispered, “It would be a waste not to use it.” With a mischievous smirk, he tilted Aoba’s head and kissed his jaw. As Noiz laid soft kisses along Aoba’s neck and shoulder, the two of them stared at each other through the mirror, Noiz’s eyes burning into his.

Aoba felt something inside him snap as desire flooded every fiber of his being. He abruptly turned and grabbed Noiz by the shoulders, swinging him around and roughly shoving him until his back smacked against the mirror. Noiz grunted at the impact and blinked in surprise as Aoba pinned him to the mirror.

Aoba’s hands roamed along the sides of Noiz’s bare chest as he fixed him with a flirty smile. Noiz tried to kiss him once more and Aoba lightly tugged the chain of his collar, causing him to wince from the sudden pain.

“Just relax,” Aoba murmured, giving him a reassuring peck on the cheek. He bent down and kissed Noiz just below the collarbone, this one less gentle than the last. His mouth made a slow path down Noiz’s chest, the both of them making sure to keep their eyes connected the entire time.

Aoba dropped to his knees, his face level with Noiz’s crotch. Resting his palms on Noiz’s hips, Aoba then paused for a torturously long moment, his mouth hovering mere inches away. His tongue darted out to teasingly lick his upper lip and Noiz growled, eyes narrowing in impatience. With a smirk, Aoba finally pressed his mouth against Noiz’s erection and sucked on it through his boxers, the spandex growing moist with a mixture of pre-cum and saliva.

Noiz let out a low moan as Aoba gave him another hard suck. He threaded his fingers through Aoba’s long strands of hair, gently thrusting his hips as he felt Aoba’s tongue trace the ridge of his cock. Noiz groaned in protest as Aoba abruptly leaned away, his face flushed and a string of saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. With slightly trembling hands, Aoba fingered the elastic band of his boxers and then gave them a firm tug, finally freeing Noiz’s erection.

He looked up at Noiz and said in a nervous tone, “I know I’m still not very good at this, so if you have any suggestions, just … just say so, okay?”

Noiz smiled and nodded. Despite his persisting insecurity, Aoba had gotten quite good in recent weeks. He was certainly much better than he had been when he first gave Noiz a blowjob, where he tried to take in too much too fast and ended up choking. He had looked so cute and flustered that Noiz couldn’t help but laugh—until Aoba yelled at him for laughing and was subsequently too embarrassed to try again for weeks afterwards.

Aoba’s tongue poked out from between his lips and tentatively flicked the tip of Noiz’s cock, licking some of the pre-cum off. Noiz inhaled sharply in anticipation as Aoba gripped the base of his cock and started by giving his balls a few slow sucks before trailing his tongue across the length of his shaft. Noiz stared through half-lidded eyes as Aoba’s warm mouth finally enveloped him. Aoba’s tongue swirled over the tip as his hand moved from the base to the head, slowly stroking the shaft.

“Use your teeth,” Noiz pleaded. He frowned as he felt Aoba’s lips release him with a slick popping noise.

Aoba quirked his brow and asked, “Are you sure?”

Noiz smiled at the obvious concern in his voice. “Do it,” he ordered and gently pulled Aoba’s head towards him. After a moment’s hesitation, Aoba took him into his mouth once more, this time scraping his teeth along his shaft. Noiz immediately felt a sharp, blinding pain shoot through him. He let out a cry as his legs involuntarily began to tremble.

Aoba pulled away in alarm. “Are you okay?!”

Noiz nodded fervently, already tugging Aoba’s head back towards him. “I’m fine. Just keep doing it.” After a short pause, he added, “Please.”

Aoba chuckled. “You really are strange,” he said, smiling at Noiz affectionately. He lovingly kissed the head of his cock and then did as Noiz requested, trying not to laugh at all the adorable little sounds Noiz made each time he dragged his teeth along his dick.

After a few long, slow pulls, Aoba’s hands moved to massage Noiz’s balls as he tried to take in more of him. “Don’t force yourself,” Noiz mumbled, his voice unusually gruff. Despite his warning, Aoba continued to take Noiz deeper into his mouth. Noiz’s chest heaved as he felt himself press into Aoba’s throat, the space around his tip growing narrower and narrower the further he went in. Noiz’s breaths grew raspy, his hands fisting Aoba’s hair tight enough to hurt.

Just as he was on the brink of bringing Noiz over the edge, Aoba abruptly drew back, leaving Noiz’s cock wet and twitching in his absence. Aoba wiped his mouth as he picked himself up off the floor, shyly averting his gaze. Once Noiz regained his breath, he reversed their positions and lightly pushed Aoba’s back against the glass, trapping him between his arms. Noiz eagerly forced his tongue between Aoba’s parted lips, smirking as the simple movement elicited a loud moan.

“Not that I haven’t noticed this before, but your voice _really_ carries.” Noiz’s smirk widened as his remark earned him an annoyed huff from Aoba.

“It’s not like I’m trying to be loud. That’s just how my voice is … I can’t help it.” Aoba cutely bit his bottom lip, his brow creasing in worry. “You don’t think someone might hear us, do you? I mean, we’ve already been scolded for being too loud once before.” Aoba blushed at the memory; it was by far the most awkward conversation he and Mizuki had ever had.

Noiz was quiet for a moment. Then with an impish gleam in his eyes, he ordered, “Turn around for a sec.” Aoba slit his eyes in suspicion and with an easy grin Noiz said, “Just trust me, okay?”

Aoba reluctantly did as he was told and felt Noiz tug on something at his back. “I’m undoing the bow,” Noiz explained as he loosened the knot. Aoba heard the cloth faintly rustle as Noiz freed the now-untied bow from its fastenings. Noiz gestured for Aoba to face him once more and said, “If you’re really worried about keeping your voice down, I can use this cloth to gag you.” When Aoba’s eyes instantly widened in panic, Noiz hastily added, “I won’t make it tight enough to hurt you. And if you really don’t like it, we can always take it off.”

Aoba warily eyed the strip of white cloth dangling from Noiz’s fingers. He instinctively knew that this was likely just a bullshit excuse for Noiz to live out yet another one of his perverted fantasies. But if he were completely honest with himself, Aoba felt too horny to keep up any pretense of modesty—and besides, even he knew that it would be a little ridiculous for him to play coy after he had just given Noiz a blowjob in a maid dress.

With a resigned sigh, Aoba said, “Just don’t make it too tight.” With an irritatingly triumphant smile, Noiz carefully placed the cloth over Aoba’s mouth and neatly tied the ends together at the back of his head. Aoba chewed on the gag a few times and made sure he could comfortably swallow then indicated his approval with a nod of his head.

Noiz took a small step forward and leaned down until his lips met the shell of Aoba’s ear. Aoba let out a muffled moan as he felt Noiz simultaneously reach down and cup Aoba’s balls, his fingers massaging them through the thin material of his panties. His moan quickly transformed into a yelp as Noiz gave him a quick, slightly painful squeeze. Noiz kissed Aoba’s earlobe in apology and said, “Sorry, I just wanted to test out the gag.”

Unable to voice his complaints, Aoba could only demonstrate his displeasure by narrowing his eyes and releasing an annoyed puff of air through his nose. Noiz kissed his ear once more and used his palm to rub him more gently. Aoba started to thrust into his hand, but before the two of them could establish a rhythm, Noiz suddenly removed his hand and instead used it to lift the hem of Aoba’s dress. Aoba self-consciously curbed his eyes as Noiz admired the black lingerie hidden underneath. He knew that his now-hardened cock was partially visible through the lace, which only made it all the more embarrassing that Noiz was staring at it so intently, as though he were trying to eat him up with his eyes alone.

With one hand still lifting the dress, Noiz used his other hand to yank Aoba’s panties down to the middle of his thighs. He gripped the base of his shaft and stroked him with slow, measured movements. Aoba’s whole body shivered from his simple touches alone, and he mewled through his gag, wordlessly begging for Noiz to touch him even more.

He gasped as he felt the head of Noiz’s cock graze his own. Noiz pressed into him until they were grinding against one another, and with a low grunt, Noiz thrust against Aoba’s crotch and eagerly set the pace. Aoba whimpered as each thrust sent a wave of pleasure coursing through his body. He gripped Noiz by the hips and tugged him even closer to his body, silently urging him to move faster. Noiz quickened the rhythm, his hand stroking both their shafts in unison. Gobs of pre-cum dribbled from their tips and Noiz used his fingers to coat themselves with it, until both their cocks glistened.

Noiz leaned forward until his forehead bumped against Aoba’s and stared down at their joined erections through half-lidded eyes. Aoba followed Noiz’s line of sight, his face flushing as he watched their cocks ooze and twitch and rub against each other. Noiz’s breaths grew more and more ragged, and just when Aoba thought Noiz was on the verge of coming, he clutched Noiz’s chain and gave it a sharp tug.

The sound Noiz made was close to a sob. Aoba immediately released the chain and tried to apologize, though his words were indecipherable through the gag. Deciding to instead voice his thoughts through actions, Aoba cupped Noiz’s face and caressed his cheek with his thumb, looking up into Noiz’s eyes with a worried expression. Noiz laid his hand on top of his, then smiled and said, “Don’t feel bad. I was pretty much expecting you to do that, anyway.” Noiz turned to kiss the hand cupping his face. With a teasing smirk, he went on to say, “Besides, I can’t come when we haven’t even used the mirror yet.”

Aoba blushed at the suggestion, which prompted a chuckle from Noiz. After pausing for a moment in hesitation, Aoba slowly turned around to face the mirror. His embarrassment only doubled upon seeing his reflection: his face was glowing pink, there was a thin line of saliva dripping down his chin from the corner of his gagged mouth, his dress was completely mussed at the front, and his erect cock was poking out from underneath the hem, still sticky and moist with pre-cum. Aoba reflexively shut his eyes, blocking out the shameful sight of his own disheveled appearance.

“Keep your eyes open,” he heard Noiz whisper directly into his ear. Reluctantly, Aoba did as Noiz ordered. Noiz’s face hovered over his shoulder in the mirror’s reflection. Aoba gulped, keenly aware that Noiz was now watching his every move. Noiz licked Aoba’s neck from the nape to his hairline, making sure to keep his eyes on the mirror the entire time. Aoba’s breath caught in his throat as he saw Noiz’s hand snake around his hips and grip his cock, roughly pumping it in his hand. Aoba let out a muffled cry and thrust into his hand, inadvertently rubbing his bare ass against the tip of Noiz’s cock.

Aoba heard Noiz sigh into his ear, and Noiz, growing impatient, retracted his hand from Aoba’s cock and instead shoved his fingers into his own mouth. Once his fingers were wet with his saliva, Noiz reached down and inserted his middle finger into Aoba’s ass. Aoba whimpered at the penetration, but willed himself to relax. Finding little resistance, Noiz quickly slipped in a second finger, stretching Aoba’s taut muscles until they spread just wide enough for him to fit.

Aoba gasped as he felt the head of Noiz’s cock begin to press into his entrance. Their eyes met in the mirror, both of their expressions dripping with lust and want, and Aoba thrust his hips backwards into Noiz’s, driving Noiz’s cock even deeper into him. That one small movement caused Noiz to moan so lewdly that Aoba’s blush spread to the tips of his ears. As though having switched off all restraint, Noiz’s actions instantly became wild and erratic. He grabbed Aoba by the hips and plunged into him at a desperate, unsteady pace, pushing himself deeper and deeper until he was fully buried inside him.

Aoba slapped his palms against the mirror, trying to steady himself against it as Noiz pounded into him. As Noiz’s thrusts gradually grew rougher, Aoba’s moans steadily rose in volume, though much of it was thankfully muted by the gag. Once Noiz had finally settled into some semblance of a rhythm, he reached around and pumped Aoba’s cock in time with his thrusts. Aoba watched in the mirror as his cock grew even harder in Noiz’s expert hands, his thumb occasionally swishing over the head and smearing pre-cum all over it.

Aoba felt the pleasure build and build within him until he finally came with a loud muffled cry, his cum exploding all over the surface of the mirror. After a few more hard thrusts, Noiz came with a shuddered breath. Aoba observed Noiz’s reflection as he came: his half-lidded, unfocused eyes, the slightly furrowed brow, the drops of sweat dripping down the side of his face, and the way his whole body trembled from the feeling of it.

It took a few minutes for the two of them to catch their breath. When they did so, the two of them fixed their clothing as best as they could and finally undid the gag around Aoba’s mouth. Aoba turned to face Noiz then grinned and asked in a pseudo-exasperated tone, “Can we go back and take off these godforsaken clothes now?”

Noiz returned the grin. “And here I thought you’d be a little more concerned about cleaning up the mess you made.”

Aoba blushed and glanced at the dirtied spot on the mirror, where his cum had already begun to dry. He took the gag from Noiz’s hands and spat into it, cleaning the cum off with the moistened cloth. Once all traces of it were gone, Aoba threw the cloth away in a nearby trash can. He started to head for the door, but stopped and looked over his shoulder at Noiz, who was still leaning against the mirror and staring at him with an amused smirk.

“You know,” Noiz began, his smirk already widening, “When we first started dating, I never would’ve thought that you’d turn into such a pervert.”

Aoba gaped. He sputtered a few times in outrage before yelling, “ _Excuse me?!_ ”

Noiz fingered the chain and continued, “You even put a leash on me, like I’m some kind of pet. And here I thought you were a nice, innocent boy.”

Aoba face turned so red that for a second, Noiz thought he might pass out on the spot. Instead, he clapped his hands over his ears and said, “I am so not listening to this,” before stomping away. Noiz merely chuckled and chased after him, determined to continue teasing him all the way back to Glitter.


	17. Year's End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aoba's freshman year at Toue University comes to an end. Sei drops by the campus to bring Aoba home.

Clear fidgeted in the seat beside Aoba, perking up each time a train whooshed by. “Is this the one?” he excitedly asked as a train came to a halt in front of them.

“It might be?” Aoba replied uncertainly, scanning the railcars for a sign or nameplate. All his doubts subsided when he spotted a familiar face step off the train from further down the platform. He tugged Clear up from his seat and ran towards their guest, who caught sight of them soon afterwards.

“Aoba!” Sei said, grinning. He closed the remaining distance between them and met his brother in a hug. “I hope you didn’t wait too long?”

“Nah, we’ve only been here for ten minutes or so.”

Sei released Aoba from the embrace and turned to look at the person beside him with a curious, but friendly expression. “Is this a friend of yours?”

“Hello, Sei-san!” Clear chirped, and before Aoba could stop him, he flung his arms around Sei and squeezed him, eliciting a surprised squeak from Sei. “I’m Aoba-san’s roommate, Clear! Aoba-san has told me all about you!”

It took a few moments for Aoba to pry Clear off of Sei, who was wracked with giggles by the time he was able to escape from Clear’s grasp. “It’s nice to meet you too, Clear,” Sei said, still trying to suppress his laughter. “I see you’re just as … friendly as Aoba said you’d be.”

Clear glanced at Aoba with wide eyes before returning his attention to Sei. “Aoba-san told you about me?”

“Of course! Aoba talks to me about you guys pretty much all the time.”

Before Sei had the opportunity to reveal anything unnecessary, Aoba interrupted, “We’re meeting Koujaku and Mizuki for lunch! And our other friend Mink will be there too.”

Sei’s face brightened at the names of his childhood friends. “I have a bunch of treats that grandma baked for them.” He pointedly glanced down at the hemp bags hanging from both his elbows. His eyes narrowed mischievously at Aoba as he went on to say, “I also brought a whole tin of homemade doughnuts for you-know-who.”

“I told you, just call him Noiz,” Aoba mumbled, averting his gaze in embarrassment.

“Is it okay if I have some too?” Clear asked, eyeing the bags covetously. Sei chuckled and reached into a bag to grab a circular tin can filled with manjuu buns. The three of them each nibbled on a bun as they made their way out of the station and across the campus.

Sei peered at their surroundings with wide eyes. “Is this a university or a shopping district?” Sei asked, mouth agape at the tall glass buildings lining the streets bordering them.

“Both,” Aoba replied with a laugh. “Most of the buildings on this street are shops and restaurants.”

“The restaurant we’re going to is just up ahead!” Clear said, devouring the last bite of his manjuu bun. The place they had all chosen to go to was a pizza parlor—one that was very familiar to Aoba, though he had yet to return there since his first visit at the very beginning of the school year.

Before he had even stepped into the shop, Aoba already spotted Koujaku, Mizuki, and Mink sitting at a booth towards the back. As they entered the store, Koujaku and Mizuki practically leapt from their seats, the both of them tackling Sei in a hug.

“You’ve grown a little in the past year,” Mizuki said, measuring Sei’s height with his hand.

“Only about an inch.” Sei took a small step backwards and looked Koujaku once over. “But I’m not nearly as tall as Koujaku is! You really do look way different.”

“I could say the same for you,” Koujaku replied with a grin, “A part of me still feels shocked that the two of you are actually grown.”

Aoba shot Koujaku a dry look. “You’ve seen me almost every day for a whole year. I thought you would’ve gotten used to it by now!”

Mizuki ushered the whole group back to their booth where Mink was patiently waiting for them. Mink stood up and approached Sei, greeting him with a stiff bow.

“Your name is Mink, right?” Sei asked with a friendly smile. “Thank you for giving Aoba the phone card when he was in Germany! That was really thoughtful of you.”

Mink averted his eyes. “You don’t need to thank me for that.”

To most, Mink’s response would have sounded dismissive. But Aoba, and by extension Sei, knew Mink well enough to understand that this was simply his way of saying “you’re welcome.”

Just then, a waiter emerged from the backroom with a freshly baked pizza and placed it at the center of their table. Once they were all seated, Mizuki said, “We decided to order ahead of you guys since Koujaku and I are short on time.”

“Sorry if we leave a little early,” Koujaku added, tearing a couple slices of pizza from the platter, “Most of us still have one or two final exams left.”

“Aoba-san and I are already finished with ours!” Clear said in between mouthfuls. “Noiz-san is in the middle of an exam right now, but he said he would join us once he was finished.”

Sei hummed in acknowledgment then turned to Aoba and asked in a hushed voice, “Didn’t you say that you and Noiz first met at a pizza place?”

“We didn’t exactly meet that way,” Aoba replied, blushing suddenly, “But we actually did eat at this exact restaurant.”

“Figures,” Koujaku said with a snort, “Tomato sauce practically flows through that kid’s veins.” Koujaku then launched into a rant about Noiz’s insane late night eating habits, which drew several laughs from the table’s occupants.

“So I’m guessing you and Noiz won’t be rooming together next year?” Sei asked with a teasing grin.

“No, he decided to pay extra for his own room.” After a pause, Koujaku mumbled, “Though I’ll admit that rooming with him wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be … not that that’s saying much.”

Aoba smiled at Koujaku, who pointedly avoided his gaze. From across, he heard Mizuki ask, “I’m surprised Noiz didn’t decide to shack up with you, Aoba.”

It was Aoba’s turn to look flustered. “I told him that I wanted to keep rooming with Clear next year. And besides, my grades would probably plummet if we lived together. He’s already distracting enough as is …”

“Oh, I bet he is,” Sei said with a sly wink and nudged Aoba with his elbow. Aoba’s cheeks glowed pink at the implication behind his brother’s words. He huffed and ducked his head, nibbling on the crust of his pizza slice.

As they quickly devoured their pizza, the whole group told Sei anecdotal stories from the past year, and in return, Sei talked about the people of their hometown, including the little girl Mio, who still occasionally asked Sei about the “piercing guy” who visited them the previous winter.

After about half an hour, Koujaku and Mizuki excused themselves to go to class, but not before Sei gave each of them their own tin of baked goodies.

“In case I don’t get to see you again before I head out …” Aoba loosely wrapped his arms around Koujaku’s middle and gently rested his head on his chest. “Have a good summer, Koujaku. Thanks for everything this year.”

Koujaku’s whole face instantly turned red. He cleared his throat, shyly curbing his gaze from Aoba. “I’ll probably be able to visit you guys near the end of the summer, at least for a few days. My mom wants to come along too, since it’s been so long and all …”

Aoba stepped away from the embrace and smiled up at his friend. “That would be nice. I’m sure grandma would be happy to see you two as well!”

Koujaku and Mizuki both waved back at them one last time before exiting the shop. Once they had left, Mink cleared his throat and said, “I should be heading out too.”

“Do you have an exam as well?” asked Sei.

“Not for a few hours, but I still need to study a little more.”

“Ah, hold on,” Aoba said as Mink began to scoot out from the booth. He grabbed a tin from inside one of Sei’s bags and handed it to Mink. “I don’t know if you like manjuu, but the ones my grandma bakes are really good.”

Mink accepted the tin with a small quirk of the lips. “Thanks.”

“It was nice meeting you!” Sei said, smiling.

“Good luck on your exam, Mink-san! See you later!”

Mink murmured his goodbyes then exited.

Sei glanced sideways at Aoba and fixed him with a grin. In a hushed voice, he said, “I didn’t want to ask this earlier with everyone else around, but are you really not planning to be roommates with Noiz ever? Seems like a missed opportunity to me.”

Aoba’s face flushed at the thought of it. “I didn’t say I’d never consider it. Maybe when we’re seniors or something … I don’t know.”

Clear looked at the last two remaining pizza slices with a frown. “Noiz-san sure is taking a long time to finish his exam. His pizza’s getting cold!”

As though summoned by the word ‘pizza,’ Noiz suddenly came barreling through the doors. He headed straight for their booth, his lips curving upon seeing the leftover slices.

“Hello Noiz!” Sei cheerfully greeted. “I have something for you.” Sei pulled out one of the last remaining tin cans from his bag and handed it to Noiz. “Grandma made you a batch of doughnuts! She took them out of the oven right before I left, so they should still be warm.”

Noiz’s eyes lit up. He grabbed the tin and murmured his thanks, fingernails already scratching the lid open. Noiz made quick work of his first pizza slice, popping doughnuts into his mouth in between bites.

“It’s like you haven’t eaten in a week,” Aoba dryly noted.

“I didn’t eat breakfast,” Noiz whined, “I was too busy studying this morning.”

“That’s because last night you were bothering me instead of studying like you were supposed to,” Aoba retorted, blushing at the memory.

As the couple continued their mock bickering, Sei turned to Clear and whispered, “I think we should give the lovebirds a little time alone.”

Clear nodded, a playful gleam in his eyes. In a louder voice, Sei asked, “Clear, would you mind showing me around campus? There are a couple of shops down the block that I wanted to check out.”

“Eh?” Aoba stared as the two of them got up from their seats. “But-”

“Don’t worry, Aoba-san! You should just stay here with Noiz-san.” Then Clear not-so-subtly winked at Aoba.

Aoba buried himself further into his seat as Noiz fixed him with a knowing smile. Sei told Aoba to text him once they were done then scurried out of the restaurant with Clear in tow.

“Is it just me or do all our attempts to spend time with other people always end with the two of us alone together?” Noiz asked with a wry smile.

Aoba sighed in exasperation. “I wish they would at least be a little more discreet about it.”

Aoba absentmindedly picked at the crumbs on his plate. Though he didn’t want to admit it, part of him was secretly grateful that the two of them had a moment alone. He and Sei would probably be leaving campus before dinner so that they could arrive home before it got too late. This was likely the last opportunity he and Noiz had to speak one-on-one.

As though reading his mind, Noiz suddenly said, “I could probably visit you over the summer.” After a short pause, he added, “If you want me to.”

Aoba smiled. “As long as you don’t mind sleeping on the couch again.”

The two of them fell silent as Noiz finished the last remaining slice of pizza. Aoba rested his chin atop his upturned palm and simply watched him eat. After a prolonged silence, Aoba finally said, “It’s kind of weird when I think about it, but a lot has happened since the first time we ate at this place and now.”

Noiz glanced up at him with a curious expression. Aoba merely smiled in response and continued, “Do you still remember? You were really different back then.”

Pausing thoughtfully, Noiz looked off to the side as he contemplated his question. Hesitantly, he answered, “I don’t think I’ve changed all _that_ much. The only difference now is that I’ve realized a couple things.”

Aoba blinked. “Like what?”

Noiz’s eyes wandered back to Aoba’s face, the corner of his lips turning slightly upwards as their eyes met. Aoba felt his cheeks grow hot. “What?” he asked, feeling self-conscious under the weight of his stare.

“Hmm,” Noiz began, breaking eye contact to grab another doughnut, “I wonder if I should tell you.”

A creased formed between Aoba’s brows. “What the heck is that?” He huffed and crossed his arms, feeling strangely irritated. “It was probably just something perverted anyway.”

Noiz laughed and Aoba couldn’t help but smile at the sound. “You know, I’ve realized a couple things too,” Aoba said, reaching into the tin to grab a doughnut for himself.

Noiz quirked an eyebrow. “Oh? Like what?”

“Like not to judge a book by its cover. When I first met you, I thought for sure you were nothing but trouble.” Aoba’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he went on to say, “And I guess you _were_ trouble. Just not the type I was expecting.”

Noiz smirked. He reached across the table to take Aoba’s hand in his and asked, “Do you know what I thought of _you_ when we first met?”

To Aoba’s knowledge, the two of them had never discussed it. After a moment’s hesitation, Aoba shook his head. Noiz’s smirk widened as he said, “I thought you were by far the cutest boy I had seen since arriving in Japan.”

Aoba’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. His eyes immediately fell to the floor, desperate to look at anything other than Noiz’s face. He grew twice as flustered when he heard Noiz say, “I also noticed that you had a really nice ass.”

“You really are a pervert,” Aoba muttered under his breath, still refusing to look at his boyfriend. Noiz laughed once more and leaned across the table, claiming Aoba’s lips with his own.

\----------

By the time Aoba was finished packing, it was already time for him and his brother to leave. Clear and Noiz both accompanied them to the train station. When they arrived at their designated platform, their train was already waiting for passengers to board.

“Thank you for accompanying me on our little shopping trip, Clear. And thanks for buying the little jellyfish plushie too!” Sei held up the cartoon jellyfish toy in the hand that wasn’t gripping Ren’s leash.

“It was my pleasure, Sei-san! And Ren likes Mr. Jellyfish a lot, so it only makes sense to get him one of his own!”

Ren ran circles around Clear’s feet and barked in appreciation. Aoba stepped around Ren and wrapped his arms around Clear in a tight hug. “Have a good summer, Clear! Thank you for being such a great roommate.”

Clear smiled through slightly watery eyes. “Aoba-san is the best friend I’ve ever had! Being a good roommate is the least I could do!!”

The two of them hugged each other one more time before parting. As Clear bent down to say goodbye to Ren, Aoba shyly looked in Noiz’s direction, who was staring back at him with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“To be honest,” Aoba murmured once he was near enough for Noiz to hear him, “Even though I know it’s only temporary, I don’t really want to say goodbye to you.”

Noiz smiled, though his expression was tinged with sadness. He spread his arms wide, gesturing for Aoba to step into his embrace. Aoba did so, sighing contentedly at the warmth emanating from Noiz’s chest and arms.

Aoba felt Noiz’s breath gently ruffle his hair as he said, “You know how I told you that I realized a couple things this past year?”

Aoba stiffened for a moment then leaned back slightly to look Noiz in the eye. He continued, “One is that the past doesn’t decide the future. Just because my life was shitty before doesn’t mean it’s gonna continue that way.”

Aoba grinned at Noiz’s blunt wording. “That’s true,” he said with a nod, “And the other thing you realized…?”

Noiz’s face softened as he said, “I didn’t really care what happened to me before. I barely even cared if I lived or died. But I know that I need to look after myself better because now I have someone to share my life with.”

Aoba grew quiet then. His vision became blurry with tears just as Noiz leaned down and kissed him long and deep, until Aoba completely lost himself in the sensation.

Aoba didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard Sei clear his throat from behind him. “Sorry to interrupt,” his brother said, sounding genuinely apologetic, “But if we don’t go soon, then the train will leave without us.”

“Just … just give me a moment.” Aoba tried to discreetly wipe the moisture from his eyes. “Make sure to call me, okay?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Noiz nodded. “I will.”

The two of them kissed one last time before Aoba dragged himself away. He picked up his luggage and followed Sei and Ren to the nearest train door. He glanced back at Noiz and Clear with a smile before boarding and disappearing from their sight.

He and his brother had just settled into their seats when the train began moving. Sei saw the tears welling up at the corner of Aoba’s eyes and he grabbed his brother’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“You’ll see him again soon,” Sei said as he rested his head on Aoba’s shoulder.

Aoba nodded. “I know,” he replied and wiped the tears away once more. He stared out the window as the train took him further and further away, and suddenly remembered the red string Noiz had given him when they first began dating, which was now safely tucked away inside his luggage.

Aoba smiled then, reminding himself that this was only a temporary separation, after all.


	18. Epilogue: Graduation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As graduation approaches, Aoba and Noiz begin to plan their future together.

“Aoba-san, have you thought about studying abroad in Germany next year?”

Aoba tore his eyes away from his textbook to glance at his roommate in curiosity. Considering that a minute ago Clear had been talking about buying a dog sweater for Ren, this was a rather abrupt change of topic. “I haven’t really considered it. Though my professor has mentioned foreign exchange programs a few times in class … why do you ask?”

“One of my friends in choir told me that she’s planning to do an exchange program with one of Toue’s partner universities in the US, and since you’re taking German classes now, I thought you might want to study in Germany. I’m looking at the requirements right now and I think you’d be able to do it!” Clear turned his laptop so that the screen faced Aoba. “It says that you only need a year’s worth of language study, which you’ll have by the end of this year. And your grades are good enough too!”

Aoba warily scanned the block of text displayed on Clear’s laptop screen. “I’m just not sure if I really want to do it,” Aoba said uncertainly, “A semester is a long time to be away. And I only know really basic German.”

“You still have the whole rest of this year to study before leaving,” Clear suggested, though it did little to assuage Aoba’s worries. After a thoughtful pause, Clear added, “You always say that you want to understand Noiz-san’s home country better. This is a good chance to, isn’t it?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Aoba answered, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to at least apply …”

—————

“I don’t like it.”

Aoba sighed and turned away from the computer monitor to fix his eyes on his boyfriend, who was moping in the seat beside him. “We don’t even know if they’ll accept my application or not.”

 Noiz pouted, the cute gesture prompting a smile from Aoba. “You don’t need to apply at all. If you want to learn German so badly, then I could just teach it to you.”

“Sorry, but I want to learn more than just curse words and things to say during sex,” Aoba replied with a cheeky grin. He faced the computer screen once more and frowned at the blank white box underneath the section titled, “Personal Essay.”

Noiz rested his head on Aoba’s shoulder in a feeble attempt to distract him from his work. In a more timid voice than before, he mumbled, “I don’t want you to go.”

Aoba tried to suppress the sudden ache in his chest. “I’ll only be gone for a few months. I’m sure it’ll all go by really quickly.” He could tell how unconvincing his words sounded even to his own ears. Even though a semester was a short span of time in the grand scheme of things, he and Noiz both knew that even a single day of separation sometimes left them both feeling needy and lonely, much less an entire semester.

Aoba looked away from the screen once more and lightly pressed his lips against Noiz’s brow. “To be honest… part of me doesn’t want to go either. But I know I’ll regret it if I don’t.”

Noiz felt Aoba take his hand and link their fingers together. He stared down at their joined hands, the ache in his heart fully visible on his face. “I don’t understand. It’s not like you even need to be fluent in German anytime soon. You can always just learn it once we’re actually there. At least then we’ll be together.”

Noiz stared deep into his eyes as he waited for his answer, which caused Aoba’s cheeks to quickly turn a light shade of pink. As tempting as that option was, Aoba knew that he wouldn’t feel comfortable relying on Noiz to that extent. Thinking back to his experience abroad about a year prior, Aoba responded, “We were only gone for a week when we visited Germany, but it was a long enough time for me to realize how difficult and lonely it would be for me to live there without knowing the language. I want to be prepared. Or at least as prepared as I can be. I’m sure that even after graduating, I’ll still have a lot to learn. But if it means that I’ll be even slightly less of a burden to you, then I think it’s worth the effort.”

A second later, Aoba found himself in Noiz’s arms as his boyfriend held him in a warm, gentle embrace. “Even if you didn’t know a single word of German, I would never think of you as a burden.” Noiz murmured the words against his neck, and Aoba shivered as he felt Noiz’s breath tickle his skin.

“I know,” Aoba replied, “But I want to try my hardest to be a good partner for you. Because I know you’re trying your hardest to be good for me too.”

When the two of them kissed moments later, Aoba almost forgot about his application altogether.

—————

“I know the food over there is different, but you should still make sure to eat properly! And don’t neglect your studies! You’re not a tourist on vacation!! And make sure to call every weekend—“

Aoba nodded as his grandma continued to rattle off her long list of commands, keenly aware of the looks the two of them were garnering from passersby. It felt like the first day of college all over again.

Aoba glared at his brother, who tried and failed to muffle his laughter. Wearing an expression that he hoped was reassuring, Aoba said, “Don’t worry, grandma, I swear I’ll be fine!”

She crossed her arms and huffed in response. “Just remember the time difference when you call, alright? I don’t want to wake up to the sound of the phone ringing at 5am!”

Aoba grinned. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”

Beside Tae’s feet, Ren let out a sad little whine. For the first time since Aoba had begun college, he was leaving his dog behind. Aoba stooped down, petting his dog on his fluffy little head. “Goodbye, Ren. Take care of Sei and granny while I’m away, okay?”

Ren replied with a whine and Aoba kissed him on the head in apology. Aoba clutched the handle of his carry-on luggage as he stood back up. “I should probably head in before the plane starts boarding…”

He hugged his grandma and his brother one last time before finally walking in the direction of the security checkpoint. “Have fun in Germany!” Sei yelled at his back, “Stay safe!”

Aoba kept waving goodbye at the two of them until they were obscured from his view. Though he had been preparing for his departure for weeks now, the nervousness only hit him now that he had been severed from his last remaining connection to home.

After Aoba successfully went through security and found his departure gate, only an extra five minutes remained before his flight began boarding. He hurriedly took his cellphone out from his bag and made one last call before leaving.

From the other side of the line, he heard a familiar voice say, “Hello? Aoba?”

“Noiz?” Aoba smiled reflexively at the sound of his boyfriend’s voice. “My flight’s about to start boarding and I just… well, I just wanted to call before I left.”

Noiz merely hummed in acknowledgment, seemingly at a loss for words. Aoba wasn’t sure what to say at that moment either and so the precious seconds ticked away in silence. Just when Aoba was about to blurt out the first thing that came to mind, Noiz finally said, “This probably goes without saying, but since you’re cute, I bet a ton of German pretty boys will hit on you while you’re over there. Don’t cheat on me, okay?”

Aoba couldn’t help but blush at Noiz’s teasing tone of voice, feeling suddenly thankful that his boyfriend was unable to see his face. “O-of course I won’t! Have a little faith in me, will you? Geez.”

“I _do_ have faith in you. Otherwise, I would have made you wear a chastity belt.”

“Ehh?!” Aoba yelled in mock outrage before bursting into laughter. “Well, it’s not like I even have any ‘chastity’ to protect after dating a perverted brat like you all this time.”

Noiz laughed and just the sound of it made Aoba laugh again too. From overhead, Aoba heard the announcement that his plane had begun boarding. In a noticeably sadder-sounding voice, Aoba said, “Make sure to go on Skype as often as you can, okay? I’ll try to make myself available too.”

Noiz fell silent once more, though Aoba understood that his silence simply meant that he did not want to say goodbye. Aoba did not wish to say goodbye either, so he instead said, “See you when I’m in Germany.”

Aoba could practically hear Noiz’s sad smile through his voice. “Yeah. See you then.”

—————

On the morning of Aoba’s first full day at the University of Munich, he was so nervous that he almost didn’t want to leave his room. During orientation, he quickly learned that most of the students in his exchange program were either American or from another European country. Even his roommate was an American, and the two of them eventually created a system of communication consisting of German, rudimentary English, and hand gestures.

Throughout the first month, Aoba made phone and Skype calls to Japan nearly every day out of sheer loneliness. Though his German had improved greatly since the last time he had been in Munich, he still did not feel confident enough in his language abilities to converse freely with native speakers. He also felt a little intimidated by a few of his fellow exchange students, some of whom spoke German at an advanced level.

Back at Toue, Clear had decided to live with Koujaku and Mink while Aoba was away, and so the three of them had managed to grab a three-person suite for the semester. But to Aoba’s surprise, whenever he organized a Skype call with the three of them, it was not uncommon for him to catch Noiz hanging out at their place as well. When Aoba prodded him about it, Noiz nonchalantly answered, “I’ve gotta kill time somehow, don’t I?”

When Aoba wasn’t in class or chatting with family and friends back home, he spent virtually all his extra time studying German obsessively. As the weeks progressed, Aoba’s German improved to the point where he could finally have casual conversations with his roommate. Day-by-day Aoba felt the language barrier slowly chip away, which only encouraged him to throw himself even deeper into his studies.

On her days off, Noiz’s maid Anne sometimes came to visit him in Munich—and against Aoba’s protests, she always brought along baskets of food that she snuck out from the mansion’s well-stocked pantry. Now that Klaus was at Oxford for his business studies, Anne was Aoba’s only remaining contact in Germany. But when Klaus briefly returned to Germany for spring break, it was through Anne that the two of them arranged a day to meet up.

They decided to meet at an Italian restaurant in downtown Munich for lunch. As their waiter led them to a table, Klaus tentatively asked in German, “Do you like Italian food? We can go to a different restaurant if you don’t.”

“This restaurant is fine,” Aoba replied, “I’ve eaten here before, actually.”

Klaus grinned at him as the two of them settled into their seats. Switching to Japanese, Klaus said, “Noiz was right. You really have improved a lot.”

Aoba batted his eyes in surprise. “Noiz talked to you about me?”

Klaus’s grin only widened at his apparent shock. “He probably won’t like me saying this, but my brother talks about you all the time. I think it’s his way of coping with loneliness when he’s separated from you. It’s especially bad right now, so I imagine he misses you very much.”

Aoba fell silent then, and attempted to hide his embarrassment by scarfing down the bread rolls in their bread basket. But Aoba immediately regretted eating so much bread—after slurping down a bowl of potato and leek soup, he was already beginning to feel full.

As they waited for their entrees to arrive, Klaus suddenly asked, “Has Noiz ever talked to you about his plans after college?”

Aoba smiled apologetically. “All I know about his plans is that there are no plans for now.”

Klaus nodded with a passive expression, as though he had been expecting that answer. “What about you? Is there a specific job or company that you want to work for after you graduate?”

Aoba had the distinct impression that their conversation was building up to something. Carefully, he answered, “Not really. But to be perfectly honest, I get the feeling that at some point I’ll probably end up moving here with Noiz.”

Klaus quirked his brow, seemingly intrigued by his answer. “Why do you feel that way, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“It’s just a hunch, I guess. Last year, Noiz started taking business classes along with his computer programming classes. He told me there was no special reason why, but I’m guessing that he wants to help you run the company at some point. But as I said, it’s just a hunch.”

Klaus’s eyes fell to the table as he contemplated Aoba’s words, the corners of his lips turned upwards in a small smile. “Interesting. I’ve always had the impression that my brother was resistant to the idea of moving back here.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Noiz is a bit of a _tsundere_ around you.” Aoba chuckled as he remembered the awkward hug the two of them shared the last time he was in Germany.

Klaus’s brows scrunched up in confusion. “A tsun…dere? What does that mean?”

“Ah … no, it’s, um, it’s nothing.” Aoba cleared his throat, feeling somewhat embarrassed for some reason. “Anyway, I think he’s only hesitating because he doesn’t want to commit to anything yet. And he’s probably trying to be considerate of me as well.” Despite Aoba’s reassurances that he was perfectly willing to move to Germany if it came to it, Noiz still seemed to balk at the idea of taking Aoba away from his home and everything he knew.

For a long moment, Klaus stared down at his folded hands, his face a mask of perfect concentration. Then he abruptly glanced back up and met Aoba squarely in the eye. “If my brother does one day decide to help run the company, would you consider working for our company as well?”

It took a few seconds for Aoba to process his question, and even once he did, at first he was certain that he had misheard. “Work … for your company?” Aoba repeated, sounding obviously confused.

“There are a lot of different positions available,” Klaus explained, “Management, research, sales, human resources …” He paused before adding, “I already know that I’ll be in need of a new lawyer once I really start running the company.”

“B-But,“ Aoba began, struggling to find words, “Why me? I can’t even speak German fluently!”

“If you keep practicing, then you’ll become fluent eventually. And we could easily hire a private tutor for you so that you can continue learning German even after you graduate.”

Aoba bit his bottom lip. Though he was flattered by the offer, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he was completely undeserving of it. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I’d rather you not hire me just because I’m dating your brother.”

Klaus’s gaze took on a slightly harder edge, and for a second, Aoba was worried that he had offended him. “Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not doing this as a favor to you or to my brother. And if you do decide to work for us, I’ll hold you to the same standards as everyone else.” His expression softened as he continued, “I’m only offering you this because I honestly believe you can do it. You might not have the work experience, but you’re smart, compassionate, and loyal. Those are all qualities that are sorely lacking in our current employees. And once I really take over, I’m going to need more people who I know I can trust.”

Aoba gaped at the other man, his cheeks slightly pink from the sudden barrage of compliments. Before he could form a coherent response, Klaus added, “Of course, you don’t have to make a decision now. It’s just something to keep in mind.”

For the rest of the meal, they discussed how the both of them were adjusting to life in a foreign country. But even after they said their goodbyes, Klaus’s offer still weighed heavily in the back of Aoba’s mind.

—————

Aoba anxiously scanned the sudden crowd of people that came bursting through the arrivals gate at the Munich Airport. Spring break had just begun for Toue University students. Although Aoba’s vacation did not start for another two more weeks, Noiz had decided to fly to Munich anyway. Aoba knew that the intensive study habits he had developed throughout his time in Germany would all go flying out the window the moment he laid eyes on Noiz. But after the months of separation, even Aoba couldn’t bring himself to feel _too_ guilty about his temporary lapse in work ethic.

Aoba’s eyes widened when he finally spotted a familiar head of blond hair—and an equally familiar scowl to go along with it. But Noiz’s face immediately brightened upon seeing Aoba jogging towards him. When Aoba tilted his head upwards to greet him with a kiss, he realized that Noiz had grown so tall that their lips barely touched even when Aoba stood on the tips of his toes.

When they parted, Aoba breathlessly murmured, “You grew a little.”

Noiz smiled and reached up, caressing Aoba’s cheek with his thumb. “Did I?”

Aoba nodded and leaned into his hand. Just the sight of Noiz’s face made his eyes glisten. “Yeah. Like … an inch maybe?”

Noiz chuckled and Aoba noticed then that his eyes looked a little moist as well. “Hmm. Are you sure you didn’t just get shorter?”

Aoba let out a soft snort. He rested his head against Noiz’s chest and gently wrapped his arms around his waist, drawing their bodies a little closer. “I missed you,” he whispered just loudly enough for Noiz to hear, “I missed you so much.”

Noiz let his eyelids fall shut as a long, content sigh escaped from his slightly parted lips. The two of them stood there for a long moment and simply enjoyed the feeling of being in each other’s arms.

Exiting the airport hand-in-hand, Aoba suggested they go eat lunch someplace nearby, but Noiz insisted on skipping lunch entirely. To Aoba’s mild embarrassment, they instead headed straight to Noiz’s hotel suite, where the both of them stayed for the rest of the day.

Late in the night, as Aoba lay half-asleep on the suite’s lavish king-sized bed, he heard Noiz say, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”

“Hm?” Aoba murmured sleepily, parting his eyelids just wide enough to glimpse Noiz’s profile.

Aoba felt Noiz’s arm curl a little more tightly around his waist. “Do you want to live together next year?”

“…Eh?” Aoba blinked the sleep from his eyes, startled by the sudden question.

Noiz was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. He glanced at Aoba from the corner of his eyes, their gazes meeting briefly before he turned away. “Do you want to live together next year?” Noiz repeated, sounding slightly more hesitant the second time around.

When Aoba failed to respond immediately, Noiz said with a hint of disappointment, “It’s okay if you say no.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Aoba hurriedly replied. He chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to organize his thoughts. After a short pause, he continued, “I’ve just been so busy here that I haven’t really thought about housing at all. I haven’t even spoken about it with Clear…”

“I already asked Clear before break, and he said he’d be fine rooming with Koujaku and Mink for all of next year as well.” Noiz glanced at him once more, this time with an expectant, almost pleading look.

Aoba blushed and averted his eyes. Softly, he murmured, “If Clear’s fine with it … then I guess it’s okay.”

Noiz’s face instantly brightened. He pulled Aoba even closer to his chest and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s easy for seniors to get a two-person apartment on campus. And the apartments are pretty big, so Ren will have a lot of space to run around.”

Aoba smiled sweetly at Noiz as he discussed his plans for their future apartment. The thought of finally moving in with his boyfriend made his heart flutter in anticipation. He had expected to feel nervous about taking this next step in their relationship, but now that the decision had been made, he felt surprisingly at ease, as though it were a perfectly natural transition.

After Noiz explained in detail which places on campus were the best for renting apartments, Aoba grinned and said, “You’ve really put a lot of thought into this, huh?”

Wearing an uncharacteristically shy expression, Noiz played with a strand of Aoba’s hair and mumbled, “Well, this _is_ gonna be our first time living together …”

Aoba’s heart thumped at the reminder and he reflexively cuddled closer to Noiz. “If you’re this thorough just with choosing our campus apartment, I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like when we buy a house.”

Noiz blinked in surprise before his mouth curved into its usual smirk. “Already thinking about our future home?” he asked in a teasing voice.

Aoba’s cheeks turned bright pink as he mumbled, “We may as well start thinking about it. Graduation is only a little over a year from now, after all…”

Noiz paused thoughtfully before replying, “I guess that’s true. Have you thought about what kind of house you’d like?”

“Not anything too big and fancy. Just a normal house would be okay.” After staying over at the mansion Noiz’s family owned, Aoba knew that he could never feel comfortable in such lavish surroundings.

“I figured as much,” Noiz said with a soft chuckle, “You didn’t seem to like my parents’ house very much.” With a wry grin, he added, “You did like the Jacuzzi, though.”

“ _You_ were the one who liked the Jacuzzi, you pervert!” Aoba retorted, scowling. “I bet it was your idea to put me in the room with a Jacuzzi in the first place!”

Noiz laughed, which Aoba took as a sign that he had guessed correctly. “Anyway,” Aoba continued, attempting to ignore Noiz’s teasing, “I don’t think I’d want to live in Grünwald, but I think I’d like living in a modest-sized house somewhere in the city.”

“In Munich?” Noiz asked, frowning. “Wouldn’t you rather go to Berlin or someplace bigger?”

“I _like_ Munich,” Aoba said, sounding more defensive than he had intended, “And besides, your brother already offered me a job at your family’s company, so I won’t even have to worry about employment if we stay here.”

Noiz fixed him with an expression that was equal parts confusion and alarm. “Klaus … offered you a job?”

Aoba sent him an apologetic look, feeling a little guilty that he had neglected to mention something so important earlier on. “It wasn’t a specific position or anything,” he explained, “He just suggested it in case we ever decide to move here.”

Noiz suddenly went quiet then, his brow creased in concentration. After a long silence, Noiz tentatively asked, “Would you feel comfortable doing that? Working for our company?” Aoba quirked his brow in curiosity and Noiz added, “I don’t think you should accept if you don’t think you’d be happy working there.”

Aoba smiled once more, touched that Noiz was being so considerate of what he wanted. “It feels kind of intimidating, but if your brother is the one in charge, I don’t think I’d be unhappy. And I don’t want to give up before at least trying.”

“As long as you’re happy, then I’m fine with whatever you choose to do.” Noiz looked upon Aoba with a gentle expression. He lifted his hand and used the pads of his fingers to trace the curve of Aoba’s jaw, smiling as Aoba trembled slightly from the simple touch. But the quiet moment quickly ended as an indecent thought took root in Noiz’s mind. “You know,” he began, his smile already taking on a darker edge, “If I decide to help my brother run the company, then I would be your boss too.”

Aoba narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “I’m okay with that as long as you keep your hands off of me when we’re at work.”

Predictably, Aoba’s cold answer only encouraged Noiz to say even more provocative things. “I can’t promise that I’ll be able to control myself,” Noiz purred, his voice deep and sultry, “You _do_ look pretty hot in a suit, after all.”

Aoba pouted cutely, his cheeks glowing in embarrassment as he haughtily replied, “Then I change my mind. I don’t want to work for a perverted brat.”

“No, you’re just in love with one.” Noiz’s laughter only grew louder as Aoba grew even more flustered by his comment. Noiz continued teasing him until Aoba became so embarrassed that he hid his face in the crook of Noiz’s neck.

“You brat,” Aoba muttered, “There’s a limit to how shameless a person can be.”

“Really? Then I guess I haven’t found my limit yet.” Noiz laughed once more as his flippant response prompted an exasperated huff from Aoba. Noiz gently pried Aoba off his chest so that he could look at his face, which had gone completely red.

“What?” Aoba grumbled, purposefully avoiding Noiz’s eyes.

Noiz regained his attention by softly pecking him on the lips. “I love you,” he whispered, each syllable spoken with such love and affection that Aoba practically melted in his arms. Though Noiz had said those words to him countless times over the years, it still had a way of disarming him.

Aoba sighed happily and tenderly nuzzled his cheek against Noiz’s. “I love you too, you brat.”

—————

Aoba broke into a sprint just as the bells of the clock tower announced the beginning of a new hour. He had just managed to shrug into his polyester black robe when he turned the corner and spotted a huge gathering of students, all of whom donned the same robe as he.

Aoba scanned the crowd and spotted a few familiar faces towards the front of the line, near the entrance of Oval Tower. He jogged towards them, smiling as he caught sight of Clear pawing at his tassel like a cat with its toy.

“Aoba!” Koujaku yelled as he drew near, “We just saw Sei and Tae-san go inside a few minutes ago! They’re sitting with my mom and Clear’s grandpa. And I’m pretty sure Mizuki is with them too.”

“It’s too bad everyone couldn’t sit together,” Clear said, glancing at Mink with sad eyes.

“Was your family able to find seats?” Aoba asked. Mink had always said he had a big family, though none of them realized exactly how big until earlier that day. There were at least a dozen of Mink’s family members in attendance, enough to take up an entire row of seats by themselves.

Mink casually shrugged at his question. “I don’t know if they did, but I’m sure they’ll manage somehow.”

“Mink-san’s family must be very proud. I’m sure they’re all looking forward to hearing the valedictorian speech!” Clear looked at Mink with huge, admiring eyes.

Mink averted his gaze, seeming somewhat uncomfortable by Clear’s praise. “I’d rather not give a speech at all. But my professors insisted…”

“What a humble guy,” Koujaku said, nudging Mink with a teasing grin. He redirected his attention towards Aoba before asking in a noticeably more sarcastic tone, “Speaking of humble guys, where’s that boyfriend of yours? It’s almost time for the ceremony to start.”

“He’s picking his brother up from the airport,” Aoba explained, “Noiz said they went to eat lunch somewhere on the way back, though I didn’t think they’d be this late…”

Koujaku laughed derisively. “Late to his own graduation, huh? I guess I’m not surprised. That guy’s always been a little _too_ laidback.”

With a knowing smile, Clear replied, “Koujaku-san still speaks so badly of Noiz-san even though the two of them are friends now.”

“W-we’re not friends!“ Koujaku sputtered indignantly. After a short pause, he reluctantly admitted, “It’s true that we do get along sometimes. And he does have a few good points. But it’s not like we’re friends or anything!”

Clear and Aoba immediately burst into laughter at Koujaku’s flustered babbling. Even Mink chuckled a little. Koujaku glared at all of them, his cheeks red. “What? Why are you guys laughing?!”

His reaction only made them all laugh harder. Koujaku crossed his arms and desperately attempted to change the subject. “A-anyway, it’s almost time for us to go. I’m gonna head to my spot in line!” Koujaku turned on his heel and stomped away before anyone could stop him.

It took a little while longer for Clear and Aoba to recover from their laughter. Mink glanced at the face of the clock tower and said, “It might have just been an excuse to leave, but Koujaku’s right. We should all probably get in line.”

“See you after the ceremony!” Clear yelled, waving goodbye to Aoba and Mink as the three of them parted ways. Aoba nodded and waved back before jogging towards his designated spot in the long line of graduates. The students were arranged in alphabetical order according to last names, so Aoba was near the tail end of the procession.

Aoba abruptly stopped when he heard someone call his name from a short distance away. Aoba’s face broke into a smile as he turned towards the source of the voice. “Noiz! You made it just in time!”

Noiz lagged a couple paces behind Klaus, who was briskly making his way towards the entrance of Oval Tower. He waved at Aoba from a distance and called out, “I’ll head in first! See you two again afterwards!”

Aoba waved in return before focusing his attention on Noiz, who was still in the process of putting on his cap and gown. He smiled when he noticed a stray tuft of hair awkwardly poking out from underneath Noiz’s cap and reached up to tuck it away from view.

Aoba traced the curve of Noiz’s cheek with the backs of his fingers as he admired his new look. It had been a full week since Noiz had decided to remove all the piercings from his face, though Aoba had yet to fully adjust to the change in his appearance.

“That was a long lunch,” Aoba commented as he helped Noiz adjust his tassel.

Noiz shrugged, looking slightly put-off. “We wouldn’t have been so late if Klaus’s flight had arrived on time. Not that the original arrival time was all that much earlier anyway.”

“He’s really busy nowadays, isn’t he? It’s nice that he even took the time to fly all the way out here just for today.” Even though Klaus still had a year of undergraduate studies left, according to Noiz, their parents were already burdening him with more and more responsibilities in managing their company.

“Well, it’s not exactly difficult for my family to fly to whatever country they want, even if it’s just for a day.” Noiz tried to act nonchalant, but Aoba knew him well enough to call his bluff.

He playfully nudged Noiz with his elbow and smirked as he said, “There’s no need to be so coy. It’s obvious that you’re happy he’s here.”

“Obvious?” Noiz asked with a quirk of his brow, “How so?”

“Because you always start acting like a _tsundere_ when you’re around your brother. It wouldn’t kill you to be a little more direct with your feelings, you know.”

Aoba grinned as he watched Noiz glare at him in annoyance, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “I’m not a tsundere.” Aoba burst into laughter at his childish response. Noiz at first appeared miffed by Aoba’s reaction, but his face soon relaxed into a smile.

From the corner of his eyes, Aoba spotted a man who he vaguely recognized as the head of campus security. He stood a short distance away from the students, a megaphone clutched in his hand. Without warning, the man suddenly brought the megaphone to his mouth and yelled at the top of his lungs, “HEY, YOU LOUSY BRATS!! GET IN LINE ALREADY!!!!”

All at once, the students dispersed and frantically scampered to their respective spots. “Guess that’s my cue to go,” Noiz dryly noted, shooting a dirty look at the head of security. His expression instantly brightened upon returning to face Aoba. “We’re all meeting up afterwards, right?”

Aoba nodded and gave Noiz a quick kiss on the lips. “See you once we’ve graduated.”

With a warm smile, Noiz took Aoba’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. They kissed once more before finally parting ways. Once everyone was in position, the procession began their march just a few minutes later.

Aoba was unable to conceal the look of wonder on his face as he strode into the grand ballroom of Oval Tower, which had been converted into an auditorium for the graduation ceremony. Though he had lived on campus for three-and-a-half years, this was the first time Aoba had ever stepped foot inside the glass tower, which was usually off-limits to everyone outside of school administration.

As he proceeded down the center aisle, he scanned the audience and quickly found his brother and grandma sitting near the front of the room, enthusiastically waving at him from their seats. As he passed by their row, Sei whipped out a camera and frantically snapped photo after photo. Aoba grinned and discreetly flashed a victory sign at the camera before settling into his chair.

The ceremony itself went by much faster than Aoba had expected it to. The highlight of the afternoon was definitely hearing Mink’s valedictorian speech, which was short but poignant and had even brought one of Mink’s family members to tears.

The distribution of diplomas was by far the most time consuming part of the ceremony. Aoba made sure to cheer for each of his friends as they walked across the stage, though when it was Koujaku’s turn, his voice was easily drowned out by a chorus of female screams that burst out from different sections of the audience.

Aoba was one of the last people to receive his diploma. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the stage, meeting the university’s president at its center. “Congratulations,” Toue said, greeting him with a smile. He held out a long black cylindrical case, which Aoba accepted with a murmured “thank you.”

At the end of the ceremony, the whole class adjusted their tassels in unison, then stood up and threw their caps into the air. Once they were dismissed, Aoba’s first thought was to find Noiz, who appeared to have already left his seat.

Aoba nearly yelped in surprise when he felt a pair of arms snake around his waist from behind. Without even turning to look, he had already guessed who it was. “Say something before you grab me like that,” Aoba whined.

He felt Noiz gently press his lips against the shell of his ear. “Do you feel any different?”

“Not particularly. I do feel a little sad, though.” Aoba turned around to face Noiz, who stared back at him with a surprisingly serious expression. “Why? Do you feel any different?”

“Of course not. It’s not like a piece of paper is going to make me an adult.”

Aoba smiled mischievously as he responded, “You’re right. It’s going to take a lot more than that to turn a perverted brat like you into an adult.”

Noiz smirked, his voice taking on an amused tone as he asked, “Then are you gonna take responsibility for taking care of this perverted brat?”

 “Of course,” Aoba replied, sealing the words with a kiss.

—————

“Is… is it a house?” Sei scratched his head. “Why are there stars?”

With a panicked expression, Clear frantically added oval-like objects to the side of his “house.” But before he could complete his drawing, Koujaku announced that time had run out.

“It’s a space shuttle!” Clear pouted at Sei, who smiled at him apologetically.

“Okay, my turn!” With a grin, Mizuki grabbed the marker from Clear’s hand and tore off the space shuttle sketch from the large drawing pad.

“Wasn’t Mizuki an art major?” Sei asked with a frown, “That isn’t fair! He should drink more than us as a handicap!”

Aoba watched them from a short distance away, laughing as Sei and Clear tried to shove a bottle of vodka into Mizuki’s hand.

After they had all finished packing up their things and saying their goodbyes to everyone else on campus, the whole group drove over to a nearby restaurant, where Klaus and Noiz had reserved a room for all of them. After dinner, the older adults all gathered in the corner quietly talking amongst themselves while the younger adults grew rowdier and rowdier as the night went on.

Mink and Klaus were sharing a pitcher of beer at the bar, the both of them engaged in a heated discussion. Aoba had at one point tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, but the topics were so high-level that most of it completely flew over his head.

Meanwhile, Sei and Clear played against Koujaku and Mizuki in a game of Pictionary, with severe drinking penalties given to the pair that lost each round. Aoba declined to join their game and instead watched them from the sidelines. Soon afterwards, Noiz joined Aoba in watching them play, though his primary motive was to heckle Koujaku whenever it was his turn to draw.

“Is that supposed to be a picture of yourself?” Noiz asked with a smirk upon seeing the hippo-like figure Koujaku scribbled onto the drawing pad.

As Koujaku was not allowed to speak during his turn, he merely crossed his arms and threw a sour look in Noiz’s direction. Koujaku and Mizuki ended up losing the round, and Sei and Clear gleefully forced the two of them to down a shot of tequila as punishment.

Though he tried his best to appear cheerful, Aoba could tell that his laughter sounded a little hollow. For all intents and purposes, this gathering was the group’s final farewell. They were all headed off in different directions: Noiz and Aoba were moving to Germany, Clear was moving to New York to study music, Mink was enrolling at Kyoto University for graduate school, and Koujaku was planning to start his own high-class haircutting business in Tokyo. Though Aoba didn’t even want to think about it, he knew in his heart that this might very well be the last time all of them were together.

Aoba nearly jumped as he felt warm skin brush against the back of his hand. He glanced down to find Noiz’s hand covering his own. With a reassuring smile, Noiz said, “We can stay with your family for a little while longer, if you want. We can delay moving to Munich for at least a couple weeks.”

Aoba shook his head and returned Noiz’s smile as he replied, “I appreciate the offer, but one week is enough. If I stay any longer, it’ll just be that much harder to leave.”

Noiz gave his hand a soft squeeze. “If you ever feel homesick, just say so. You can visit Japan however often you want, even if it’s just for a day or two.”

Aoba nodded, then scooted closer to Noiz and rested his head upon his shoulder. Noiz lightly pressed his lips against his forehead, though the fleeting touch was gone a second later. The two of them sat there in silence, until Aoba remembered a conversation he had had earlier that night.

“I’m not sure if you’ve heard,” Aoba began, “But Klaus already found a tutor for me. And she was a lawyer when she was younger, so she’ll at least be able to teach me basic legal studies.”

“Oh? We haven’t even moved to Germany yet and you’re already so ambitious.”

Noiz grinned cheekily, provoking an exasperated huff from Aoba. “Of course I am! Serving you coffee and answering your phone calls might be an acceptable job for now, but I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life!”

Aoba expected for Noiz’s response to be just as cheeky as his grin, but his next words were surprisingly thoughtful. “To be honest, I’m not sure if I want to help run the company for the rest of my life either. But for now at least, I think it’s okay.” Noiz then gently grabbed Aoba’s chin, forcing him to meet his gaze. “In any case, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing it.”

Aoba blinked. “Seeing what?”

Noiz smiled indulgently, as though the answer were obvious. “To seeing the life we build together.”

Aoba’s mouth hung open in shock, his cheeks flush with embarrassment. Noiz leaned downwards, fully intent on taking advantage of Aoba’s parted lips, only to be interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat at an obnoxiously loud volume.

“Oi, lovebirds!” Koujaku called out in a grumpy voice, “The rest of us are taking a group photo, if you care to join us.”

Aoba ducked his head as Koujaku’s comment elicited several teasing laughs from their friends and family. He wordlessly tugged Noiz towards the rest of the group, who were all clustered together in front of the camera.

They had managed to rope one of the restaurant’s waiters into taking the photo for them. As the waiter begun his countdown, Aoba impulsively reached up and tilted Noiz’s face towards his own. He stood on the tips of his toes, their lips touching just as the camera’s shutter clicked.

Neither of the two was certain what the future had in store for them. But regardless of what hurdles lay ahead, they would face each of them together—and that, Aoba thought, was the only thing either of them really needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all the readers! Especially to those who have left comments & messages either here or on tumblr! Hope you all enjoyed it and thank you again to everyone who stuck with this story throughout the many months it took to write it~! :)


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